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HISTORIC  MANUAL 


REFORMED  CHURCH 


UNITED  STATES. 


BY 

JOSEPH  HENRY  DUBBS,  D.  D 

' 


LANCASTER,  PA. 
1888. 


COPYRIGHT,  1885. 
All  rights  reserved. 


INQUIRER   PRINTING  CO., 

STmRBOTYPBRS   AND   PRINTERS. 

LANCASTER,  PA. 


PREFACE. 


THE  General  Synod  of  the  "  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States"  (formerly  known  as  the  "  German  Re- 
formed Church"),  at  its  triennial  meeting  in  Tiffin,  Ohio, 
in  1 88 1,  requested  the  author  to  prepare  a  "Manual  of 
the  Reformed  Church,"  containing  an  historical  sketch 
of  the  denomination,  with  such  additional  information 
as  its  ministers  and  members  might  naturally  desire  to 
possess  in  a  compact  form.  Such  a  book,  it  was  be- 
lieved, would  be  valuable,  both  as  furnishing  information 
to  members  of  the  church,  and  as  conveying  to  others 
proper  views  of  its  origin  and  history. 

In  accordance  with  this  request  of  the  General  Synod 
a  manuscript  was  prepared,  and  when  almost  completed 
was  presented  to  the  same  body,  in  1884,  at  its  meeting 
in  Baltimore,  Maryland.  On  this  occasion  the  Synod 
was  pleased  to  declare  its  approval  of  the  general  plan  of 
the  book,  and  to  express  a  desire  for  its  speedy  publi- 
cation. In  consequence  of  this  action  the  present  volume 
appears ;  but  it  is  necessary  to  state,  for  the  purpose  of 
guarding  against  misapprehension,  that  it  is  purely  an 
individual  publication,  and  that  the  Synod  is  in  no  way 
to  be  held  responsible  for  its  contents. 

As  the  author  had  not  been  favored  with  specific  in- 
structions, he  was  at, first  inclined  to  believe  that  he  would 
perform  his  task  most  acceptably  by  preparing  a  small 
volume,  for  reference  only,  containing,  besides  a  brief 
historical  sketch  the  Catechism  and  Constitution  of  the 

(i) 


11  PREFACE. 

Church,  together  with  statistical  information  and  the 
forms  most  generally  employed  in  the  transaction  of 
ecclesiastical  business.  It  was  found,  however,  that  at 
least  one  publication  of  this  order  was  already  in  exist- 
ence, and  upon  reflection  and  consultation  he  was  induced 
to  change  his  plan,  and  to  prepare  a  volume  consisting 
mainly  of  historical  sketches  illustrative  of  the  history  of 
the  Reformed  Church  from  the  days  of  tlie  Reformation 
down  to  the  present  time.  Some  of  these  sketches  were, 
at  the  time  of  their  composition,  printed  in  "  The  Guard- 
ian," a  monthly  magazine  of  which  the  author  is  editor, 
and  though  not  strictly  consecutive  they  are  inserted  in 
deference  to  the  wishes  of  partial  friends. 

In  its  present  form  the  book  is  intended  to  serve  a 
double  purpose.  While  it  furnishes  reading  for  the  fam- 
ily, it  also  claims  to  be  useful  as  a  book  of  reference  by 
enabling  the  reader  to  trace  the  career  of  individual  min- 
isters and  the  chronological  order  of  the  meetings  of 
ecclesiastical  bodies. 

In  the  preparation  of  Book  L,  which  relates  to  the 
Church  in  Europe,  the  writer  has  by  preference  con- 
sulted works  whose  authors  have  been  members  of  the 
Reformed  Church.  Among  these  may  be  mentioned : 
"  Leben  der  Vater  und  Begriinder  der  Reformirten 
Kirche,"  10  vols.,  Elberfeld,  1857;  Max  Goebel's  "  Ge- 
schichte  des  Christlichen  Lebens  in  der  rheinisch-west- 
phalischen  evangelischen  Kirche,"  4  vols.,  Coblenz,  1849; 
Heppe's  "  Protestantismus,"  2  vols.,  Marburg,  1852  ;  and 
Cuno's  "  Gedachtnissbuch  deutscher  Fiirsten  und  Fiirs- 
tinnen  reformirten  Bekenntnisses,"  Barmen,  1884.  The 
author  has  also  frequently  referred  to  the  writings  of 
Herzog,  Ebrard,  and  Lange,  as  well  as  to  the  more  usual 
German  and  English  authorities  on  the  history  of  the 
Reformation. 


PREFACE.  Ill 

The  materials  composing  Book  II.,  which  more  im- 
mediately concerns  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States,  have  to  a  considerable  extent  been  derived  from 
original  documents.  Besides  using  his  private  collection 
of  autograph  letters  and  personally  examining  the  records 
of  many  churches,  the  author  has  enjoyed  the  privilege  of 
consulting  a  volume  of  manuscripts  collected  by  Dr.  H. 
Harbaugh,  and  the  transcripts,  of  the  colonial  corres- 
pondence with  Holland  made  by  Dr.  Lewis  Mayer.  He 
is  also  in  possession  of  the  original  Minute-book  of  the 
"  Free  Synod."  Among  the  volumes  which  have  been 
frequently  consulted  are,  besides  the  Minutes  of  Coetus 
and  Synod,  Harbaugh's  "Life  of  Michael  Schlatter," 
"  The  Fathers  of  the  Reformed  Church,"  '5  vols.,  begun 
by  Dr.  H.  Harbaugh  and  continued  by  Dr.  D,  Y.  Heisler; 
Loher's  "  Deutschen  in  America,"  Seidensticker's  "  Eph- 
rata,"  Russell's  "  Creed  and  Customs,"  "  The  Tercen- 
tenary Monument, "  "  History  of  the  Westmoreland 
Classis,"  Demarest's  "  History  of  the  Reformed  Protes- 
tant Dutch  Church,"  Corwin's  "  Manual  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  America,"  and  the  monographs,  memorial- 
sermons,  or  local  histories  of  the  Rev.  Drs.  L.  Mayer,  E. 
Heiner,  D.  Zacharias,  J.  W.  Nevin,  J.  Berg,  E.  V.  Gerhart, 
J.  H.  A.  Bomberger,  C.  Z.  Weiser,  T.  G.  Apple,  A.  H. 
Kremer,  G.  W.  Williard,  D.  Van  Home,  the  Rev.  D.  W. 
Gerhard,  the  Rev.  D.  C.  Tobias,  and  others. 

Special  thanks  for  assistance  rendered  in  various  ways 
are  due  to  the  Rev.  Drs.  I.  H.  Reiter,  D.  Y.  Heisler,  E. 
V.  Gerhart,  H.  J.  Ruetenik,  J.  H.  Good,  T.  G.  Apple,  J. 
S.  Stahr,  E.  T.  Corwin,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  C.  G.  Fisher, 
H.  J.  Stern,  N.  S.  Strassburger,  L.  Praikschatis,  T.  A. 
Fenstermaker,  Prof.  A.  W.  Drury,  and  Messrs.  H.  S. 
Dotterer  and  D.  McN.  Stauffer.  The  author  is  also 
under  many  obligations  to  the  Rev.  G.  D.  Mathews,  D.  D., 


IV  PREFACE. 

of  Quebec,  Canada,  for  information  concerning  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  foreign  countries.  The  above  list  by 
no  means  indicates  the  extent  of  his  obligations,  but  the 
author  assures  his  friends  that  their  kindness  is  fully 
appreciated  and  will  be  gratefully  remembered.  He  espe- 
cially regrets  that  he  has  been  compelled  by  the  limits  of 
his  volume  to  exclude  much  valuable  information  which 
was  kindly  contributed  by  his  correspondents. 

The  Appendix  is  by  no  means  the  least  valuable  por- 
tion of  this  book.  As  it  is  intended  for  reference  only, 
the  author  has  ventured  to  employ  many  abbreviations, 
which  are,  however,  fully  explained.  Some  doubtful 
names  which  appeared  in  earlier  lists  have  been  omitted, 
but  their  plac"e  has  been  supplied  by  others  which  have 
hitherto  escaped  attention,  and  it  will  be  found  that  this 
section  contains  much  new  material.  A  few  names  of 
pretenders,  who  at  an  early  date  imposed  upon  the 
churches,  have  been  retained,  not  because  they  deserve 
to  be  remembered,  but  because  they  appear  in  congre- 
gational records,  and  it  is  sometimes  desirable  to  identify 
them.  There  are  no  doubt  many  inaccuracies  and  omis- 
sions, and  the  author  will  be  grateful  for  such  informa- 
tion as  may  hereafter  enable  him  to  complete  the  record. 

The  collection  of  the  materials  for  this  volume  has 
been  a  fascinating  employment,  and  though  conscious 
that  his  work  is  in  many  respects  incomplete  and  unsatis- 
factory, the  author  is  encouraged  in  its  publication  by 
the  fact  that  his  researches  in  certain  periods  of  the 
American  history  of  the  Reformed  Church  have  not 
proved  unsuccessful.  The  book  is  now  sent  forth,  with 
all  its  imperfections,  in  the  hope  that  it  may  help  to 
awaken  the  Reformed  people  to  a  consciousness  of  their 
precious  historical  inheritance. 


CONTENTS. 


BOOK  FIRST. 

THE  REFORMED  CHURCH  IN  EUROPE. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Introduction — The  Reformed  Name — The  Origin  of  the  Reformed  Church — The 
Reformation  in  Zurich — Ulric  Zwingli — Zwingli's  Relation  to  Luther — The  Death 
of  Zwingli g 

CHAPTER  II. 

After  Zwingli's  Death — Leo  Juda — Henry  Btillinger — The  Great  Synod  of  Berne — 
Beneficiary  Education  in  Zurich — The  Anabaptists 25 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Genevan  Reformation — John  Calvin 35 

CHAPTER   IV. 

The  Palatinate — Frederick  the  Pious — The  Heidelberg  Catechism — Casper  Olevi- 
anus — Zacharias  Ursinus 48 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Defense  of  the  Catechism — The  Second  Helvetic  Confession — The  Diet  of  Augs- 
burg— Frederick's  Later  Years — After  Frederick's  Death 61 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Martyrs — The  Waldenses— Spain  and  Portugal — The  Huguenots — The  Massa- 
cre of  St.  Bartholomew 73 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Holland — The  First  Martyrs — Spanish  Tyranny — "The  League  of  the  Beggars" — 
The  Revolt  of  the  Netherlands 84 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
England — Cranmer  and  Bullinger — Peter  Martyr — John  De  Lasky — Martin  Bucer.     97 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Scotland — Before  the  Reformation — The  Great  Reformer,  John  Knox — Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots — The  Conclusion  of  the  Work 106 

CHAPTER  X. 

Women  of  the  Reformed  Church  :  Anna  Reinhard — Idelette  De  Bures — Jeanne 
D'Albret — Charlotte  De  Bourbon — Catharine  Belgica  of  Hanau — Gertrude  von 
Bentheim — Louisa  Henrietta  of  Brandenburg 115 

CHAPTER  XL 

The  Great  Theologians — Gomarists  and  Arminians — The  Scholastics — Coccejans  or 
Federalists 128 

CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Great  Revival — Jean  De  Labadie — Jo-Jocus  Van  Lodenstein — The  Pietists — 
Philip  Jacob  Spener — The  Great  Hymnologists — Joachim  Neander — Gerhard 
Tersteegen 135 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

After  the  Thirty-Years'  War— The  Treaty— The  People— The  Invasion  of  the  Pala- 
tinate and  its  Consequences — Present  State  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Europe  .  143 

(v) 


VI  CONTENTS. 

BOOK  SECOND. 

THE  REFORMED  CHURCH  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  Reformed  Church  in  America — A  German  Reformed  Pioneer — William  Penn's 
Mother— Earliest  German  Reformed  Ministers  in  America 157 

CHAPTER  II. 

Pennsylvania  Pioneers — John  Philip  Boehm — Gtorge  Michael  Weis — John  Henry 
Goctschius — John  Bartholomew  Rieger — Pelcr  Henry  Dorstius 164 

CHAPTER  III. 

John  Peter  Miller— Tulpehocken— The  Dunkers — Conrad  Beissel  and  '•  The  Eph- 
rata  Brethren  " — Beissel's  Visit  to  Tulpehocken — Miller  as  a  Monk 175 

CHAPTER  IV. 
"  The  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit" — Antes — Bechtel — Brandmiller — Rauch 

-Lischy 188 

CHAPTER  V. 

Michael  Schlatter — Binh  and  Education — Sent  to  America  by  the  Synods  of  Hol- 
land— Pastor  in  Philadelphia — Missionary  Journeys — The  Organization  of  the 
Coetus — The  Rival  Congregation  in  Philadelphia — Schlatter's  Mission  lo  Europe 
— The  Charity  Schools— Later  Years — The  Character  of  his  Work 196 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Decline — The  Lost  Churches — Streaks  of  Daylight 206 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Church  in  Maryland — The  Rev.  William  Oiterbein  and  the  "  United  Ministers  ".  214 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Reformed  Church  in  the  Revolution — Baron  Steuben — Patriotic  Ministers — The 

Loyalists 225 

CHAPTER  IX. 

After  the  Revolution — Rev.  John  William  Weber — Educational  Movements — 
Franklin  College — The  Last  Years  of  the  Coetus 239 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Synod  of  the  German  Reformed  Church — "  Die  Synodalordnung  " — The  First 
Hymn-book — The  Conflict  of  Languages — Correspondence  with  other  Denomina- 
tions— Condition  of  the  Church — Unionistic  Tendencies — Signs  of  Progress — The 
Classes 253 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Theological  Seminary — Popular  Opposition — "  The  Free  Synod  " — Repeated 
Failures— -The  Seminary  Founded  at  Carlisle — Removed  to  York,  Pa. — The  Sem- 
inary and  College  at  Mercersburg 269 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Synod  of  Ohio— Western  Theological  Seminary — Literary  Institutions  in  the 

East  and  West 297 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Widows'  Fund — Home  Missions — The  German  Church  in  the  West — Foreign 
Missions — Beneficiary  Education 313 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Publications — Parochial  and  Sunday-schools — Orphan  Homes 332 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Doctrine — Discipline — Cultus 346 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Tercentenary  Celebration — General  Synod — Conclusion 362 

APPENDIX. 

Necrology — Meetings  of  Synods — Comparative  Statistics 382 


BOOK  I. 
THE  REFORMED  CHURCH  IN  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Introduction —  The  Reformed  Name —  The  Origin  of  the  Reformed 
Church — The  Reformation  in  Zurich — Ulric  Zivingli — Zwing- 
lis  Relation  to  Luther — The  Death  of  Zwingli. 

~-THE  ancient  Israelites  were  solemnly  commanded  to 
relate  to  their  children  what  God  had  done  for  His  peo- 
ple in  the  days  of  old.  This  duty  we  believe  to  be  in- 
cumbent, not  only  upon  the  church  at  large,  but  on 
every  community  of  Christians.  The  Reformed  Church 
has,  for  instance,  enjoyed  many  marks  of  Divine  favor, 
and  has  experienced  many  signal  deliverances  which  one 
generation  should  relate  to  the  other,  "that  we  may 
know  the  hand  of  the  Lord  that  it  is  mighty :  that  we 
may  fear  the  Lord  our  God  forever." 

It  is  with  this  impression  that  we  venture  to  offer  our 
readers  an  account  of  the  beginnings  of  the  Reformed 
Church.  We  have  no  ambition  to  write  a  history,  and 
hope  to  avoid  controversial  statements.  No  doubt,  in 
our  brief  sketches,  we  shall  be  compelled  to  omit  some 
things  which  certain  learned  scholars  regard  as  of  great 
importance;  but  it  will,  we  trust,  be  remembered  that 
this  book  is  intended  for  the  general  reader,  and  that  we 
have  no  room  to  consider  minute  particulars. 

THE   REFORMED    NAME. 

The  Reformed   Church   is  older  than  its  name.     Its 

(9) 


IO  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

early  leaders,  as  is  well  known,  strenuously  objected  to 
being  called  after  any  individual  teacher.  In  fact,  they 
had  no  idea  that  they  were  about  to  establish  a  separate 
Christian  denomination.  They  did  not  imagine  that 
their  work  could  in  any  way  break  the  succession  of  the 
ancient  church,  any  more  than  a  thorough  scouring 
could  be  supposed  to  destroy  the  buildings  in  which  they 
worshiped.  As  they  insisted  on  the  preaching  of  the 
pure  Gospel  they  preferred  to  be  called  "  Evangelical 
Christians ;"  but  different  names  were  given  them  in  var- 
ious places.  Finally,  when  a  more  distinctive  name  be- 
came necessary,  some  one  in  France,  it  is  said,  called  the 
church  "  Reformed,"  and  this  name  was  generally  adopted. 
It  was  felt  to  be  appropriate,  for  the  body  of  Christians 
which  was  called  by  this  name  claimed  to  be  the  old 
Catholic  church  reformed.  For  this  reason,  some  of  its 
strictest  members,  until  a  comparatively  recent  period, 
objected  to  the  use  of  a  capital  letter  in  writing  the  name 
of  the  church.  They  wished  to  be  known  as  the  "  re- 
formed church,"  or  more  comprehensively  as  "  the  church 
reformed  according  to  God's  word" — and  objected  to 
any  other  title  as  savoring  of  sectarianism.  "  On  the 
continent  of  Europe,"  says  Dr.  Mayer,  "  Reformed  is  the 
distinctive  title  of  those  Protestant  communities  which 
are  not  Lutheran,  exclusive  of  Socinians  and  Anabap- 
tists." These  communities,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter,  dif- 
fered from  the  beginning  in  minor  matters,  but  held  in  a 
general  way  to  the  same  religious  system,  and  were  evi- 
dently pervaded  by  a  common  life.  In  a  certain  sense 


REFORMED    CHURCH.  I  I 

ths  English  and  Scotch  reformers  may  be  regarded  as  be- 
longing to  the  Reformed  type ;  but,  as  Dr.  Hagenbach 
says,  "  whoever  is  familiar  with  the  peculiarities  of  the 
churches  which  they  founded  will  find  it  natural  that 
their  names  should  not  prominently  appear"  in  a  sketch 
of  the  history  of  the  Reformed  church. 

THE    ORIGIN    OF    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH. 

In  its  history  the  Reformed  church  has  sometimes 
been  supposed  to  bear  a  certain  analogy  to  the  river 
Rhine,  on  whose  banks  so  many  of  its  children  have 
made  their  home.  Like  that  beautiful  river  it  has  its 
source  among  the  mountains  of  Switzerland,  derives  its 
tributaries  from  France  and  Germany,  and  flows  on  to 
fertilize  the  plains  of  Holland.  As  has  already  been  in- 
dicated, the  Reformed  Church  does  not  derive  its  origin 
from  a  single  individual,  but  there  are  in  its  history  cer- 
tain plainly  marked  stages  of  development,  which  enable 
us  to  form  a  correct  idea  of  its  growth  and  advancement. 
These  must  be  studied  separately,  as  the  geographer 
would  separately  examine  three  streams  which  unite  to 
form  a  mighty  river.  Zurich,  Geneva,  and  the  Palatinate 
were  the  places  where  these  developments  occurred,  and 
from  them  the  latter  may  respectively  be  regarded  as 
taking  their  names.  Besides  these  great  movements,  it 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  the -Reformed  Church  gained 
strength,  in  Switzerland,  by  absorbing  the  Waldenses,  an 
ancient  mediaeval  body  of  Christians,  the  majority  of 
whom,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter,  formally  joined  the  Re- 


12  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

formed  church,  though  a  minority  has  kept  up  its  organi- 
zation to  the  present  day.  The  Polish  branch  of  the 
Hussites,  as  we  are  informed  by  Bishop  E.  De  Schwein- 
itz,  in  his  "  Moravian  Manual "  was,  in  1627,  also  "  grafted 
upon  the  Reformed  church  of  Poland,  and  in  the  next 
decade  grew  to  be  one  with  it." 

THE    REFORMATION    IN   ZURICH. 

The  Swiss  Reformation  was  the  result  of  a  process 
whose  beginnings  may  be  discovered  far  back  in  the  Mid- 
dle Ages.  The  movement,  like  that  of  an  Alpine  glacier, 
was  at  first  almost  imperceptible,  but  it  gradually  became 
more  rapid,  until  its  progress  could  no  longer  be  re- 
strained. 

Switzerland,  at  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
it  will  be  remembered,  consisted  of  thirteen  cantons, 
which  were,  in  fact,  independent  states,  though  united  by 
a  league  for  common  defence.  Since  the  beginning  of 
the  thirteenth  century  they  had  been,  in  part,  at  least,  in 
possession  of  civil  liberty,  and  these  Swiss  republics  were 
naturally  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  the  kings  of  Europe. 
For  nearly  two  hundred  years  the  Swiss  were  involved 
in  almost  constant  conflicts  with  the  house  of  Austria; 
but  their  mountains  constituted  an  impregnable  fortress, 
and  all  the  power  of  the  empire  was  unable  to  dislodge 
them.  The  wants  of  the  people  were  few.  On  their 
high  Alpine  pastures  flocks  could  safely  feed,  and  the 
numerous  lakes  furnished  an  abundance  of  fish.  Switz- 
erland might  be  blockaded,  but  the  people  cared  but  lit- 


THE   SWISS.  13 

tie  for  communication  with  other  countries,  and  every 
attempt  to  penetrate  their  valleys  with  hostile  armies  was 
sure  to  prove  a  failure.  The  Swiss  were  a  warlike  people, 
and  if  their  battle-axes  and  cross-bows  failed,  they  could 
roll  down  rocks  on  the  head  of  the  invader. 

It  was  but  natural  that  Switzerland  should  become  a 
place  of  refuge  for  the  oppressed  and  persecuted.  Not 
only  political  offenders,  but  those  who  had  exposed 
themselves  to  ecclesiastical  censures,  were  glad  to  escape 
to  the  valleys  of  the  Alps.  The  church  of  Rome,  it  is 
true,  appeared  to  be  nowhere  more  firmly  established  than 
in  Switzerland ;  but  it  is  also  true  that,  on  account  of 
the  political  condition  of  the  country,  the  church  rarely 
attempted  to  press  her  authority  to  the  utmost  extent. 
Except  in  the  cities,  the  poverty  of  the  people  was  re- 
garded as  an  excuse  for  simplicity  of  worship,  and  there 
were  many  priests  who  sympathized  with  the  sufferings 
of  the  refugees,  if  they  did  not  venture  to  accept  their 
doctrine. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  kings  and  nobles  of 
surrounding  nations  could  favorably  regard  a  country  in 
which  their  authority  was  so  thoroughly  defied.  The 
very  existence  of  the  Swiss  league  was  a  constant 
menace  to  royalty,  and  the  rulers  hated  it  with  perfect 
hatred.  Indeed,  it  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  the  in- 
fluence of  the  nobles  had  caused  a  wide-spread  dislike 
for  the  Swiss,  even  among  the  lower  classes :  and  this 
feeling  will  in  part  account  for  the  evident  unwillingness 
of  the  Germans  to  cooperate  with  the  Swiss  at  the  be- 


14  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

ginning  of  the  Reformation.  Without  this  prejudice,  we 
feel  assured,  the  doctrinal  differences  might  have  been 
more  easily  reconciled. 


ZWINGLI. 


Ulric  Zwingli,  the  most  prominent  of  the  Swiss  Re- 
formers, was  born  in  the  Alpine  village  of  Wildhaus  on 
the  first  of  January,  1484.  His  father  was  an  "  Amman,"  or 
district  judge,  and  the  family,  though  unpretentious,  was 
comparatively  wealthy  and  eminently  respectable.  Each 
of  his  parents  had  a  brother  who  was  eminent  in  the 
church,  and  they  naturally  desired  that  at  least  one  of 
their  children  should  choose  the  same  vocation, 

Ulric  was  the  youngest  of  ten  children.  At  an  early 
age  it  became  evident  that  he  was  gifted  with  extraordin- 
ary talents.  When  stories  of  Swiss  heroism  were  related 
in  his  father's  house,  they  fell  like  sparks  upon  his  spirit 
and  left  it  glowing  with  patriotic  enthusiasm.  Even 
more  profound  was  the  impression  made  upon  his  mind 


ULRIC   ZWINGLI.  15 

by  the  magnificent  scenery  that  surrounded  his  birth- 
place. At  an  early  age  he  accompanied  his  brothers  to 
the  Alpine  pastures,  where  the  grandeur  of  the  mountains 
on  which  he  gazed  kindled  his  imagination  and  awakened 
his  devotion.  "  I  have  often  thought  in  my  simplicity," 
wrote  his  friend,  Oswald  Myconius,  at  a  later  period, 
"that  on  these  heights,  so  near  to  heaven,  he  (Zwingli) 

•  assumed  something  heavenly  and  divine.  When  the 
thunder  rolls  along  the  mountains  and  the  deep  abysses 
are  filled  with  its  reverberations,  we  seem  to  hear  anew 
the  voice  of  God,  saying,  '  I  am  the  Almighty  God,  walk 
in  my  presence  with  reverence  and  fear.'  When  with 
the  dawn  of  morning  the  glaciers  glow  with  rosy  light, 
so  that  an  ocean  of  fire  rolls  over  the  mountain  tops,  the 
Lord  of  hosts  appears  to  stand  upon  the  high  places  of 
the  earth;  as  though  the  hem  of  His  garment  glorified 
the  mountains,  while  we  hear  the  words  that  were  spoken 
to  the  prophet  Isaiah :  '  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  of 
Sabaoth  !  All  the  earth  is  full  of  Thy  glory ! ' " 

When  Ulric  had  reached  his  ninth  year,  his  father  re- 
solved to  place  him  in  the  care  of  his  brother,  Bartholo- 
mew, who  was  dean  of  the  church  of  Wesen.  It  seems 
to  have  been  understood  that  the  boy  should  study  for 
the  priesthood,  and  for  this  purpose  educational  advan- 
tages were  abundantly  provided.  He  was  a  natural  mu- 

s  sician  and  learned  to  play  all  the  instruments  which  were 
then  known.  Under  the  care  of  the  celebrated  scholar 
Lupulus  he  learned  to  speak  Latin,  to  use  his  own  ex- 
pression, better  than  he  spoke  his  mother  tongue.  The 


l6  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

study  of  Greek  he  pursued  in  later  years  with  great  en- 
thusiasm, not  only  because  it  introduced  him  to  the 
grandest  literature  in  the  world,  but  especially  as  a  means 
of  becoming  familiar  with  the  sacred  Scriptures.  After 
taking  a  full  course  at  the  University  of  Vienna,  Zwingli 
became  a  teacher  in  the  Latin  school  of  Basel,  and  at  the 
same  time  attended  lectures  in  the  University.  Here 
there  was  a  celebrated  teacher  named  Thomas  Wytten-  • 
bach,  who  gathered  around  him  a  company  of  young 
men  whom  he  delighted  to  lead  away  from  the  arid 
wastes  of  scholasticism  to  the  green  pastures  of  the  Word 
of  God.  In  one  of  his  lectures  he  said  :  "  The  time  is  at 
hand  when  the  ancient  faith  shall  be  restored  according 
to  the  Word  of  God.  Indulgences  are  a  Roman  delusion, 
and  the  death  of  Christ  is  the  only  ransom  for  our  sins." 
Among  his  students,  besides  Zwingli,  were  Leo  Juda, 
Capito,  and  others,  who  subsequently  took  a  prominent 
part  in  the  Reformation. 

Having  been  ordained  to  the  priesthood,  Zwingli,  in 
1506,  assumed  charge  of  the  church  at  Glarus,  in  which 
relation  he  continued  until  1516.  During  this  period  he 
was  twice  required  to  accompany  the  Swiss  troops  on 
expeditions  to  Italy.  There  he  received  impressions 
which  greatly  influenced  his  subsequent  career.  In  those 
days  the  Swiss  cantons  furnished  armies  of  mercenaries, 
which  fought  for  the  side  paying  the  highest  wages. 
By  visiting  distant  countries  and  becoming  familiar 
with  rapine  and  slaughter,  these  soldiers  acquired  vices 
of  which  they  never  would  have  even  heard  in  their 


ULRIC   ZWINGLI.  I/ 

native  valleys.  Zwingli  became  convinced  that  the  mer- 
cenary system  was  the  curse  of  Switzerland  and  deter- 
mined to  contend  against  it  with  all  his  might.  Much 
of  the  opposition  which  he  subsequently  endured  was 
owing  to  the  enmity  of  the  mercenaries  who  through  his 
influence  had  been  deprived  of  their  employment,  and  this 
was  also  indirectly  the  cause  of  his  early  death. 

In  Italy  the  attention  of  Zwingli  was  directed  to  the 
corruption  of  the  papal  court,  and  he  resolved  to  pray 
and  labor  for  its  reformation.  He  also  lost  confidence  in 
the  Roman  mass  by  discovering  in  an  ancient  liturgy 
that  in  former  times  both  bread  and  wine  were  distributed 
to  communicants,  and  not  bread  alone,  as  had  become 
usual  in  the  church.  Strangely  enough  the  significance 
of  the  doctrine  seems  not  at  this  time  to  have  occupied 
his  attention.  Neither  he  nor  any  of  his  Swiss  friends 
had  ever  believed  in  the  Roman  doctrine  of  Transub- 
stantiation.1 

Zwingli  always  acknowledged  Erasmus  as  his  great 
master  and  teacher,  and  it  was  from  the  time  of  reading 
one  of  the  books  of  the  latter  that  he  dated  his  conver- 
sion. 

One  of  the  ablest  men  in  Switzerland  at  this  time  was 
Cardinal  Matthias  Schinner.  He  had  been  a  poor  shep- 
herd boy  who  with  no  aid  but  genius,  had  risen  to  be  a 
prince  of  the  church  and  entertained  hopes  of  being  elect- 
ed to  the  papal  chair.  This  man  observed  the  youthful 
priest  of  Glarus,  and  determined  to  gain  his  support  by 

1  Max  Goebel's  "  Geschichte  des  Christlichen  Lebens,"  I.,  p.  277. 

2 


1 8  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

securing  for  him  a  pension  from  the  Pope,  "  so  that  he 
might  purchase  books  to  pursue  his  studies."  The  car- 
dinal was,  however,  mistaken  in  his  man  if  he  supposed 
that  he  could  in  this  way  purchase  his  silence.  At  this 
time  Zwingli  wrote :  "  I  will  be  true  towards  (rod  and 
man  in  all  the  relations  of  life.  Hypocrisy  and  lying  are 
worse  than  stealing.  It  is  only  through  truth  that  man 
can  come  to  resemble  his  Maker." 

In  1516  Zwingli  became  parish  priest  of  the  convent 
of  Einsiedlen,  and  there  began  to  preach,  the  doctrines  of 
the  Reformation.  This  convent  was  then,  as  it  is  now, 
the  centre  of  Romanism  in  Switzerland.  Thousands  of 
Pilgrims  came  thither  to  worship  an  image  which  was 
supposed  to  be  miraculous  and  to  receive  the  benefit  of 
certain  papal  indulgences.  These  pilgrims  Zwingli  ad- 
dressed with  extraordinary  eloquence,  exhorting  them  to 
put  their  trust  in  Christ  alone  and  not  in  the  saints  whose 
relics  were  preserved  in  the  convent.  The  effect  of  these 
discourses  was  wonderful.  Hundreds,  perhaps  thous- 
ands, accepted  the  truth  and  declared  it  wherever  they 
went.  Soon  afterwards  the  monks  began  to  leave  their 
cloister,  and  for  some  time  it  was  entirely  deserted. 

When  Zwingli  was  called  in  1518,  to  be  pastor  of  the 
Cathedral  Church  of  Zurich,  it  was  with  the  full  under- 
standing that  he  would  labor  to  advance  the  cause  of  the 
Reformation.  He  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  pastor- 
ate on  the  first  of  January,  1519;  this,  however,  was  not 
the  beginning  of  his  work,  but  rather  its  full  recognition. 
From  this  time  forward  his  labors  were  unremitting. 


ZWINGLI    AND    LUTHER.  19 

When  the  monk  Samson  came  to  sell  indulgences,  as 
Tetzel  had  done  in  Germany,  it 'was  his  eloquence  that 
drove  him  back  beyond  the  mountains.  Except  during 
a  season  when  he  suffered  from  a  serious  illness,  he 
preached  almost  every  day,  wrote  many  volumes,  and 
was  forced  by  his  position  to  take  a  profound  interest  in 
affairs  of  state.  He  also  kept  up  an  extensive  correspon- 
dence, labored  to  perfect  the  organization  of  the  churches, 
and  was  the  first  to  .convene  Protestant  synods..  Under 
such  circumstances  it  was  hardly  to  be  expected  that  he 
should  elaborate  a  theological  system ;  and  indeed  he 
owed  his  prominence  in  the  Church  more  to  the  extra- 
ordinary eloquence  with  which  he  popularized  evangeli- 
cal doctrine  than  to  his  profundity  as  a  theologian.  His 
view  of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  perhaps  incomplete,  and 
it  was  left  for  Calvin  to  formulate  the  faith  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  concerning  that  great  mystery.  This 
fact  is,  however,  no  excuse  for  the  manner  in  which  he 
was  treated  at  the  conference  at  Marburg,  in  1529,  where 
Luther  refused  to  take  his  hand  in  Christian  fellowship, 
though  he  pleaded  with  tears.  Certain  it  is,  that  in 
that  conference  Zwingli  appeared  to  no  disadvantage. 
He  at  least  kept  his  temper,  which  is  more  than  can  be 
said  of  his  great  antagonist. 

ZWINGLI 'S    RELATION    TO    LUTHER. 

When  Luther  had  been  excommunicated  by  the  Pope, 
the  enemies  of  Zwingli  insisted  that  he  was  included  in 
the  same  condemnation  as  a  friend  and  admirer  of  Luther. 


2O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Then  he  published  a  declaration  of  which  the  following 
is  an  extract. 

"  I  began  to  preach  the  Gospel  of  Christ,"  said  Zvvingli, 
"in  the  year  1516,  before  any  one  in  this  region  had 
heard  the  name  of  Luther.  Who  called  me  a  Lutheran 
then  ?  When  Luther's  book  on  the  Lord's  Prayer  ap- 
peared, concerning  which  prayer  I  had  recently  preached, 
many  good  people  rinding  in  it  the  same  thoughts  as  mine, 
could  hardly  be  convinced  that  I  was  not  the  author  of  the 
book,  supposing  that  I  was  too  fearful  to  own  my  work, 
and  had  therefore  put  the  name  '  Luther '  on  the  title-page. 
Who  could  at  that  time  have  called  me  a  Lutheran? 
How  does  it  happen  that  the  cardinals  and  legates,  who 
at  that  time  dwelt  in  the  city  of  Zurich,  did  not  call  me  a 
Lutheran  until  after  they  had  declared  Luther  a  heretic, 
though  of  course  they  could  not  really  make  him  one  ? 
Then  they  cried  out  that  I  too  was  a  Lutheran,  though  I 
did  not  know  Luther's  name  for  two  years  after  I  had 
made  the  word  of  God  my  only  guide.  It  is  only  a 
Papist  trick  to  give  me  and  others  such  names.  If  they 
say,  'you  must  be  a  Lutheran:  you  preach  as  Luther 
writes/  this  is  my  answer :  I  preach  as  Paul  writes — why 
do  you  not  call  me  a  '  Paulist  ? '  I  preach  the  Gospel  of 
Christ — why  do  you  not  rather  call  me  '  Christian  ?'  In 
my  opinion  Luther  is  a  noble  champion  of  the  Lord, 
who  searches  the  Scriptures  with  a  degree  of  earnestness 
that  has  not  been  equalled  in  a  thousand  years.  What 
care  I  that  the  Papists  call  both  of  us  heretics  ?  With 
such  an  earnest,  manly  spirit  as  that  of  Luther,  no  one 


ZWINGLI   AND   LUTHER.  21 

has  ever  attacked  the  papacy  during  all  the  years  of  its 
existence.  But  whose  work  is  it  ?  Is  it  God's  work  or 
Luther's?  Ask  Luther  himself  and  he  will  surely  tell 
you,  'It  is  the  work  of  God'  .  .  .  Therefore,  dear  Chris- 
tians, do  not  suffer  the  name  of  Christ  to  be  exchanged 
for  that  of  Luther ;  for  Luther  has  not  died  for  us,  though 
he  teaches  us  to  know  Him  from  whom  our  whole  salva- 
tion flows.  If  Luther  preaches  Christ  he  does  precisely 
what  I  do ;  though,  thank  God !  an  innumerable  multi- 
tude is  led  through  him  to  Christ — far  more  than  through 
me  and  others,  to  whom  God  gives  a  greater  or  smaller 
measure  of  success,  as  pleases  Him.  I  will  bear  no 
other  name  than  that  of  my  captain,  Jesus  Christ,  whose 
soldier  I  am.  No  man  can  regard  Luther  more  highly 
than  I  do.  Nevertheless,  I  testify  before  God  and  man, 
that  in  all  my  life,  I  have  never  written  a  line  to  him  nor 
he  to  me,  nor  have  I  caused  it  to  be  done.  I  declined  to 
do  it,  not  because  I  was  afraid  of  anybody,  but  rather  be- 
cause I  desired  to  show  all  men  the  uniformity  of  the 
working  of  the  Spirit — how  Luther  and  I  dwell  so  far 
apart  and  yet  are  so  harmonious ;  but  I  do  not  pretend 
to  be  his  equal,  for  every  man  must  do  that  to  which 
God  has  called  him." 

The  fact  is  that  Zwingli  advanced  through  the  study  of 
the  classic  authors  to  the  contemplation  of  the  Scriptures, 
while  Luther  dwelt  with  especial  pleasure  on  the  writings 
of  the  pious  mystics  of  the  Middle  Ages.  In  this  way 
they  reached  the  same  point  from  opposite  directions, 
without  being  aware  of  each  other's  existence,  and 


22  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

almost  simultaneously  protested  against  the  corruptions 
of  Rome. 

According  to  Zwingli's  own  statement  his  chief  con- 

o  o 

flict  was  not  with  Luther,  but  with  the  Anabaptists.  It  is 
almost  impossible  for  us  to  form  a  proper  conception  of 
the  conduct  of  these  fanatical  extremists,  and  it  is  not 
surprising  that  several  of  them  should  have  rendered 
themselves  amenable  to  the  Swiss  laws  against  treason ; 
but  there  is  plenty  of  evidence  that  Zwingli  did  not 
approve  the  violent  means  employed  by  the  government. 
He  always  declared  that  he  would  attack  them  with  no 
weapons,  but  the  word  of  God. l 

THE    DEATH    OF   ZWINGLI. 

Zwingli  was  cut  down  in  the  prime  of  his  manhood, 
and  much  of  his  work  was  left  unfinished.  In  1531,  war 
broke  out  between  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  cantons  of 
Switzerland,  and  an  army  of  eight  thousand  Catholics 
crossed  the  frontier  of  Zurich.  It  was  a  complete  sur- 
prise, and  the  army  of  defence  numbered  not  more  than 
nineteen  hundred  men.  At  the  command  of  the 
Great  Council  of  Zurich,  Zwingli  accompanied  the  army 
as  a  chaplain.  It  is  not  true  that  he  incited  the  war, 
and  there  is  abundant  proof  that  he  fully  appreciated 
the  almost  hopeless  nature  of  the  conflict;  but  religion 
and  patriotism  alike  urged  him  to  accompany  his  people 
to  encourage  and  comfort  those  who  were  about  to  die 
for  their  country  and  their  faith. 

'Christoffel's  "  Life  of  Zwingli,"  p.  251. 


THE   DEATH    OF   ZWINGLI.  £3 

The  Zurichers  fought  bravely  at  Cappel,  on  the  nth 
of  October,  1531,  but  they  were  overpowered  and 
Zwingli  was  mortally  wounded.  His  last  words  were: 
"  What  does  it  matter  ?  They  may  kill  the  body  but 
they  cannot  kill  the  soul !" 

After  the  battle  Zwingli  was  found  by  the  enemy  lying 
on  the  field,  but  was  not  at  first  recognized.  He  was  still 
conscious  but  unable  to  speak.  To  a  question  whether 
he  desired  the  services  of  a  priest  he  replied  by  a  negative 
gesture.  Then  a  soldier  recognized  him  and  an  officer 
killed  him  with  his  sword.  Next  day  his  body  was 
mutilated  under  the  most  revolting  circumstances,  and 
then  burned  to  ashes.  It  was  a  shameful  act  of  brutality 
on  the  part  of  his  enemies ;  but  to  him  it  did  not  matter, 
for  they  could  not  "  kill  the  soul." 

To  a  noble  soul  like  that  of  Zwingli  the  accident  of 
death  was  a  small  thing.  "  No  Christian  is  afraid  of 
death ;  he  can  only  dread  dying."  He  trusts  his  Master's 
word,  and  knows  that  he  is  about  to  receive  a  crown  of 
everlasting  glory. 

The  dying  words  of  Zwingli  have  been  wonderfully 
illustrated  in  the  history  of  the  great  religious  movement 
in  which  he  was  so  prominently  engaged.  Its  enemies 
have  always  been  threatening  its  destruction.  At  an 
early  period  its  chosen  emblem  was  "the  burning  bush," 
because,  though  constantly  enveloped  by  the  flames  of 
persecution,  it  was  never  consumed.  Almost  everywhere 
it  has  been  attacked  with  fire  and  sword,  yet  it  is  still 
green  and  flourishing.  Even  in  this  country  it  has  suff- 


24  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

ered  persecutions  which  were  not  less  dangerous  because 
they  were  more  refined,  but  it  still  bears  its  full  measure 
of  flowers  and  fruit. 

Sometimes,  in  seasons  of  persecution,  the  best  men 
are  in  danger  of  yielding  to  despair.  Yet  the  peril  is  in 
appearance  only.  The  enemies  of  the  truth  can  never 
destroy  God's  people.  "  They  may  kill  the  body,  but 
they  cannot  kill  the  soul." 

The  death  of  the  leader  of  the  Swiss  Reformation  was, 
of  course,  a  great  catastrophe,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed 
as  though  the  work  must  fail. 

It  did  not,  however,  depend  upon  a  single  man,  and 
there  was  a  multitude  of  laborers  ready  to  carry  on  the 
work.  The  most  eminent  of  these  were,  in  Zurich,  Henry 
Bullinger  and  Leo  Juda ;  in  Basel,  John  CEcolampadius 
and  Oswald  Myconius ;  in  Berne,  Berthold  Haller ;  in 
Strasburg  and  Southern  Germany,  Wolfgang  Capito  and 
Martin  Bucer.  Concerning  some  of  these  eminent  men 
and  their  coadjutors  we  shall  have  more  to  say  hereafter. 


CHAPTER  II. 

After  Ziuinglis  Death — Leo  Juda — Henry  Bullinger — The 
Great  Synod  of  Berne — Beneficiary  Education —  The  Anabap- 
tists. 

IN  the  library  of  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Lancas- 
ter there  is  a  large  German  Bible  which  was  printed  by 
Christoffel  Froschauer  of  Zurich,  1531.  It  contains  all 
the  canonical  books,  as  well  as  the  Apocrypha,  and  is  an 
excellent  specimen  of  early  printing.  In  it  there  are 
many  illustrations,  colored  by  hand,  which  give  us  an  ex- 
cellent idea  of  the  primitive  condition  of  art  in  the  earlier 
part  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Some  of  these  are  quaint 
and  almost  amusing.  Thus,  for  instance,  the  serpent  in 
the  temptation  is  represented  as  having  the  head  of  a  man 
and  wearing  a  golden  crown.  Jacob  is  depicted  as  sleep- 
ing on  the  shore  of  a  lake,  with  a  castle  near  at  hand,  and 
an  Alpine  scene  in  the  distance.  Pharaoh  wears  a  crown 
ornamented  by  the  three  lilies  of  France. 

This  Bible,  it  will  be  observed,  was  published  in  the 
very  year  of  Zwingli's  death;  but  it  was  not  the  earliest 
German  Bible  that  had  been  printed  at  Zurich.  The 
New  Testament  had  issued  from  Froschauer's  press  in 
1524;  the  first  part  of  the  Old  Testament  in  1525,  and 
the  concluding  portion  in  1529.  In  the  latter  year  an 

edition  of  the  entire  Scriptures  was  also  printed  in  Latin 

(25) 


26  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

characters.  Luther,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  pub- 
lished his  translation  of  the  New  Testament  as  early  as 
1522,  but  his  first  complete  German  Bible  was  printed  by 
Hans  Lufft,  in  Wittenberg,  in  1534.  Indeed,  no  less 
than  six  editions  of  the  Swiss  version  had  been  published 
before  the  appearance  of  Luther's  Bible;  but  they  had 
one  defect  which  prevented  their  general  use.  The  trans- 
lators had  rendered  the  Scriptures  as  nearly  as  possible 
into  the  language  of  the  common  people,  without  ex- 
actly adopting  any  one  of  the  Swiss  dialects ;  while  Lu- 
ther had  carefully  chosen  the  refined  language  of  the  up- 
per classes,  thus  producing  a  work  that  was  both  per- 
manent and  beautiful.  The  Swiss  version  was  naturally 
almost  confined  to  Switzerland  and  Southern  Germany, 
while  that  of  Luther  was  used  everywhere  else,  and  is 
still  regarded  as  one  of  the  noblest  productions  of  Ger- 
man literature. 

Leo  Juda  (born  1482 — died  1542)  was  the  chief  of  the 
Swiss  translators.  His  curious  name  has  induced  some 
writers  to  suppose  him  to  have  been  a  convert  from 
Judaism,  but  this  is  incorrect.  He  himself  supposed  that 
he  must  be  descended  from  some  remote  ancestor  who 
had  been  a  convert,  but  the  fact  could  not  be  established. 
Like  Bullinger,  he  was  the  son  of  a  priest,  who  had  pri- 
vately married,  notwithstanding  the  prohibition  of  the 
Roman  church.  At  the  university  he  formed  an  inti- 
mate friendship  with  Zwingli,  and  subsequently  became 
his  assistant  in  Zurich.  After  Zwingli's  death  Leo  was 
offered  his  position,  but  he  declined  it,  feeling  that  he 


HENRY    BULLINGER.  2/ 

was  not  suited  for  an  office  of  such  great  responsibility. 
He  was  a  great  Biblical  scholar,  and  delighted  in  preach- 
ing; but  it  was  necessary  that  the  head  of  the  church  of 
Zurich  should  be  more  than  an  ordinary  preacher  or  pas- 
tor. In  a  certain  sense  he  must  have  "  the  care  of  all  the 
churches,"  Leo  Juda  knew  that  he  was  physically  too 
weak  for  such  a  position,  and  preferred  to  remain  an  as- 
sistant. He  was,  however,  unwearied  in  his  labors,  not 
only  translating  the  Scriptures,  but  composing  hymns 
and  catechisms,  and  assisting  in  the  preparation  of  the 
Swiss  confessions  of  faith.  His  last  great  work  was  a 
translation  of  the  Scriptures  from  Hebrew  and  Greek  into 
Latin,  which  was  regarded  by  theologians  as  an  achieve- 
ment of  the  very  highest  order. 

After  Leo  Juda  had  declined  the  position  of  chief  pas- 
tor, or  "  antistes,"  of  the  church  of  Zurich,  it  was  offered 
to  CEcolampadius,  who  declined  it,  prefering  to  remain  in 
Basel.  Then  a  call  was  extended  to  Bullinger,  who  ac- 
cepted it,  and  was  afterwards  for  many  years  regarded  as 
the  chief  religious  leader  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church. 

Henry  Bullinger  (1504-1575)  was  the  best  man  who 
could  possibly  have  been  chosen,  for  this  prominent  posi- 
tion, and  we  may  even  venture  to  affirm  that  he  was  the. 
chfef  instrument  in  the  preservation  and  completion  of 
Zwingli's  work.  He  came  to  Zurich  at  a  time  of  great 
depression.  "The  ship,"  says  Pestalozzi,  "  had  lost  its 
main-mast,  and  appeared  about  to  go  down."  There 
was  danger  everywhere.  In  consequence  of  the  victory  of 


28  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

Cappel  the  Catholic  party  had  become  greatly  encouraged, 
and  in  outlying  districts  the  Protestants  were  bitterly 
persecuted.  At  this  time  King  Ferdinand  wrote  to  his 
his  brother,  the  emperor,  Charles  V.:  "  We  have  won  the 
first  of  the  battles  of  faith.  Remember  that  you  are  the 
head  of  Christendom,  and  will  never  have  a  better  oppor- 
tunity of  covering  yourself  with  glory.  The  German 
sects  will  be  lost  when  they  cease  to  be  sustained  by  her- 
etic Switzerland."  The  German  Protestants,  however, 
failed  to  appreciate  this  community  of  interest,  and  con- 
tinued to  denounce  the  Swiss  in  the  most  unsparing 
terms.  Besides  doctrinal  differences,  the  princes  and 
nobility  blamed  them  with  sympathizing  with  the  peas- 
ants in  their  unfortunate  rebellion,  which  was  known  as 
the  "  Peasants'  War."  No  wonder  that  Bullinger  said : 
"  Even  if  we  were  wrong  they  ought  not  treat  us  so." 
Worst  of  all,  Switzerland  was  full  of  Anabaptists,  who 
claimed  to  be  divinely  inspired,  and  who,  therefore,  pre- 
tended to  be  superior  to  the  laws  of  the  Church  and 
State. 

In  these  dark  and  gloomy  days  Bullinger  was  recog- 
nized as  the  father  of  all  who  were  desolate  and  depress- 
ed. His  house  was  always  open,  and  at  his  table  there 
were  plenty  of  hungry  guests.  He  adopted  Zwingli's 
children,  and  provided  for  his  widow  as  long  as  she  lived. 
Fortunately  he  possessed  some  private  property  which 
enabled  him  to  meet  the  expenses  which  were  thus  in- 
curred. His  eloquent  sermons  had  an  extraordinary 
effect,  and  the  Church  was  soon  so  thoroughly  reorgan- 


THE   GREAT   SYNOD    OF    BERNE.'  2Q 

ized  that  Ambrosius  Blaarer,  of  Constance,  wrote  to  him  : 
"All  hail !  Under  the  heavy  cross  the  church  of  Zurich 
has  grown  stronger,  and  the  strength  of  the  Lord  has  be- 
come perfected  in  your  weakness." 

THE  GREAT  SYNOD  OF   BERNE. 

The  canton  of  Berne  had  long  halted  between  two 
opinions,  but  had  finally,  in  1528,  decided  in  favor  of  the 
Reformation.  On  the  9th  of  January,  1532,  a  synod  of 
the  clergy  of  the  canton,  230  in  number,  was  held  at 
Berne,  and  adopted  a  series  of  decrees  which  were  of 
great  importance  in  the  future  development  of  the  Church. 
Though  the  synod  was  primarily  intended  for  the  canton 
of  Berne,  there  were  also  delegates  who  came  from  a 
distance,  and  it  is  generally  regarded  as  the  first  of  the 
great  Reformed  Synods.  On  this  occasion  Capito,  of 
Strasburg,  secured  the  adoption  of  the  famous  article  en- 
titled, "  Christ  is  the  substance  of  all  doctrine;"  in  which 
it  is  said  that  "  Christ  is  the  sum  of  the  teaching  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  that  whatever  is  contrary  hereto  is  also 
adverse  to  our  salvation,  and  that  even  God  Himself  must 
be  held  forth  as  He  is  in  Christ."  This  utterance  had  a 
great  effect  on  the  subsequent  teachings  of  the  Church, 
and  its  influence  may  be  plainly  traced  in  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism. 

The  article  concerning  the  Lord's  Supper  declares  that 
"  the  breaking  of  bread  is  not  an  empty  ceremony,  but  a 
sacrament  which  conveys  to  the  believer  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  really  as  bread 
taken  into  the  mouth  feeds  the  perishable  body." 


3<D  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

The  results  of  the  Synod  of  Berne  were  very  encourag- 
ing to  the  Reformed  churches,  and  did  much  to  promote 
their  organic  unity. 

BENEFICIARY    EDUCATION. 

Before  the  Reformation  it  was  hardly  necessary  to 
provide  means  for  the  education  of  young  men  for  the 
service  of  the  church.  The  priesthood  offered  wealth, 
comfort  and  a  brilliant  career,  and  there  was  no  lack  of 
applicants  for  its  dignities.  Now  all  this  was  changed. 
The  Reformed  Church  could  offer  its  ministers  nothing 
but  poverty  and  persecution,  and  it  was  soon  observed 
that  wealthy  parents  were  disinclined  to  submit  their 
children  to  such  privations.  Even  before  the  death  of 
Zwingli  a  small  fund  had  been  gathered  for  the  support 
of  worthy  young  men  who  desired  to  devote  themselves 
to  the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry ;  but  it  was  Bullinger 
who  made  the  work  a  great  success.  Through  his  influ- 
ence a  deserted  convent  was  set  apart  for  the  work,  and 
there  upwards  of  twenty  students  gratuitously  received 
their  food  and  sometimes  even  their  clothing.  Some  of 
the  most  promising  students  were  allowed  to  study  at 
foreign  universities,  and  received  a  suitable  stipend. 
Every  year  several  young  ministers  were  sent  to  preach 
the  Gospel  in  other  countries,  and  in  this  way  the 
Church  simultaneously  inaugurated  Beneficiary  Educa- 
tion and  the  work  of  Missions. 

• 

We  shall  have  to  speak  hereafter  of  Bullinger's  rest- 
less activity,  his  valuable  service  in  the  preparation  of 


THE   ANABAPTISTS.  31 

the  Helvetic  Confessions,  and  his  influence  in  promoting 
the  Reformation  in  foreign  countries,  particularly  in 
England.  He  has,  however,  been  accused  of  having 
treated  the  Anabaptists  with  extraordinary  rigor.  Let  us 
see  what  these  people  were  like,  according  to  the  testi- 
mony of  their  cotemporaries. 

THE   ANABAPTISTS. 

The  sects  which  were  known  by  this  general  title 
sprang  up  almost  simultaneously  in  Germany  and  Switz- 
erland, at  the  beginning  of  the  Reformation.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  describe  them  in  general  terms,  and  it  must  not 
be  forgotten  that  though  some  of  their  least  objectionable 
peculiarities  are  found  in  certain  more  modern  denomi- 
nations, the  latter  have  no  direct  historical  connection 
with  them. 

Thomas  Munzer  (1490-1525)  was  the  most  prominent 
leader  of  the  early  Anabaptists.  He  was  a  man  of  learn- 
ing, and  for  a  time  was  an  earnest  adherent  of  Luther. 
Having  joined  the  fanatical  sect  known  as  the  "  Zwickau 
Prophets,"  he  came  to  regard  himself  as  divinely  inspired 
to  preach  a  dispensation  of  the  Spirit,  and  succeeded  in 
gaining  many  adherents.  He  was  instrumental  in  intro- 
ducing the  Anabaptist  movement  into  Switzerland,  where 
under  his  influence  hundreds  of  people  began  to  "  see 
visions  and  dream  dreams."  Munzer  subsequently  be- 
came involved  in  the  "  Peasant  War,"  and  was  finally  exe- 
cuted as  a  rebel. 

The  Anabaptists  soon  divided  among  themselves ;  and 


3-2  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Schwenkfeld,  the  contemporary  of  the  Reformers,  when 
he  lived  jn  Suabia,  counted  no  less  than  forty-four  differ- 
ent sects.  Bullinger  knew  of  thirteen  sects  of  Anabap- 
tists, and  found  it  difficult  to  say  what  doctrines  they 
held  in  common.  They  all  agreed  in  rejecting  infant 
baptism,  but  this  was  not  regarded  as  their  chief  peculi- 
arity. Most  of  them  believed  that  present  "  inspirations 
of  the  Spirit "  are  to  be  ranked  higher  than  the  written 
word  of  God.  According  to  Bullinger:  "They  insisted 
that  the  true  Church  must  be  formed  by  the  withdrawal 
of  the  righteous  from  all  existing  church  organizations ; 
they  had  little  faith  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  denied 
justification  by  faith;  they  approved  of  community  of 
goods,  though  this  was  not  obligatory,  and  they  abso- 
lutely refused  to  appear  before  courts  of  justice  or  swear 
to  a  judicial  oath."  Elsewhere  the  same  writer  says: 
"  Some  of  the  Anabaptists  are  very  good  people,  and 
really  live  separate  from  the  world.  But,  like  a  new 
order  of  monks,  they  make  rules  about  clothing,  what 
garments  people  shall  wear,  and  of  what  cut,  and  how 
long  their  coats  must  be.  They  reject  all  ornaments, 
and  call  those  heathen  who  wear  them.  They  also  pre- 
scribe rules  about  eating,  drinking,  sleeping,  standing 
and  walking.  They  often  sigh  deeply,  and  when  they 
see  any  one  laughing  they  cry,  'Woe  unto  you,  that 
laugh  now!'  In  some  places  they  oppose  the  bearing  of 
arms  and  weapons." 

If  all  the  Anabaptists  had  been  of  the  character  which 
is   here  described,  there  would  probably  have  been  but 


THE   ANABAPTISTS.  33 

little  political  trouble ;  but  there  was  unfortunately  a  war- 
like as  well  as  a  peaceful  party.  The  warlike  faction  in- 
sisted that  all  existing  governments  must  be  subverted 
so  as  to  make  room  for  the  celestial  kingdom  that  was 
about  to  be  established.  In  1533  they  proclaimed  that 
the  time  for  the  establishment  of  the  millennium  had 
come  and  it  seemed  likely  that  they  would  attempt  to  set 
it  up  in  Switzerland.  The  leaders  were,  however,  ex- 
pelled from  the  country,  and  this  is  said  to  have  been 
done  at  Bullinger's  suggestion.  No  doubt  some  inno- 
cent people  had  to  suffer,  and  Bullinger  has  been  harshly 
blamed  for  being  concerned  in  the  matter. 

After  they  had  been  driven  out  of  Switzerland  the  An- 
abaptists gathered  at  Strasburg,  and  insisted  on  making 
it  "the  celestial  Jerusalem."  Here,  too,  they  were  re- 
pulsed. Then  they  went  to  Miinster,  in  Westphalia, 
where  they  seized  the  civic  government,  and  declared 
their  prophet,  John  of  Leyden,  "  king  of  Zion  and  of  the 
whole  world."  The  new  king  was  publicly  crowned, 
and  established  a  brilliant  court,  "  after  the  example  of 
David  and  Solomon."  Soon  afterwards  he  had  a  "  reve- 
lation "  which  commanded  him  to  introduce  polygamy, 
and  he  married  sixteen  wives,  though  only  one  of  these 
was  recognized  as  "  queen  of  Zion."  It  was  announced 
"  that  baptism  was  regeneration,  and  that  the  regenerate 
could  commit  no  sin."  This  opened  the  door  to  every 
kind  of  excess,  and  for  nearly  a  year  there  was  a  reign 
of  terror.  Those  who  opposed  the  will  of  the  king  were 
barbarously  executed.  At  last,  on  the  2$th  of  June, 
3 


34  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

1535,  the  city  of  Miinster  was  taken  by  an  army  in  the 
service  of  the  Bishops  of  Cologne  and  Paderborn,  and 
the  retribution  was  dreadful.  The  victors  behaved  more 
like  cannibals  than  like  civilized  human  beings,  not  to 
say  Christians.  Not  only  were  the  "  king  "  and  his  im- 
mediate followers  condemned  to  a  barbarous  death,  but 
the  whole  conquest  was  little  better  than  a  massacre. 
From  this  time  forth  the  Anabaptists  were  everywhere 
persecuted  as  rebellious  fanatics,  though  many  of  them 
were  the  most  peaceful  of  men.  As  some  one  has  said  : 
"  The  ghost  of  John  of  Leyden  could  not  be  laid." 

"  What  a  blessing,"  says  Pestalozzi,  "it  was  for  the  Re- 
formed Church  that  all  this  evil  did  not  happen  in  Switzer- 
land. How  easy  it  would  otherwise  have  been  to  ascribe 
its  cause  to  the  republicanism  of  the  Swiss  government, 
or  to  the  teachings  of  Zwingli.  That  it  did  not  happen 
there  we  owe,  in  so  far  as  human  wisdom  could  accom- 
plish anything,  to  the  prudence  and  unceasing  vigilance 
of  Bullinger." 

According  to  the  historian  Goebel,  the  whole  Re- 
formed Church  of  Switzerland  was  at  this  period  seriously 
tainted  with  Anabaptism,  and  its  future  appeared  exceed- 
ingly gloomy.  It  was  surrounded  by  enemies  who  con- 
stantly threatened  its  destruction.  At  this  time,  however, 
a  young  man  appeared  on  the  scene,  who  is  recognized 
as  the  greatest  theologian  of  his  age,  and  who  was  in- 
strumental in  transmitting  the  Reformed  faith  to  distant 
nations.  Who  he  was  will  become  evident  when  in  our 
next  chapter  we  consider  The  Genevan  Reformation. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Genevan  Reformation — John   Calvin. 

IN  the  south-western  corner  of  Switzerland,  where  the 
Rhone  emerges  from  Lake  Leman,  stands  the  ancient 
city  of  Geneva.  Situated  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and 
within  sight  of  the  snow-clad  summit  of  Mont  Blanc,  its 
location  is  unsurpassed  in  Europe.  Here  the  peculiar  civ- 
ilization of  France  was  brought  into  close  contact  with 
that  of  Germany ;  and  Geneva  was  therefore  especially 
well  suited  to  be  the  center  of  a  religious  movement  em- 
bracing many  nations.  It  is  here  that  we  must  look  for 
the  second  great  historical  source  of  the  Reformed  church. 

To  understand  the  Genevan  reformation  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  its  earliest  leaders  were  exiles  from 
France.  At  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  the 
French  had  been  regarded  as  far  less  under  the  influence 
of  Rome  than  the  people  of  Germany.  Classical  studies 
were  prosecuted  with  great  enthusiasm,  and  as  the  priests 
were  generally  opposed  to  secular  learning,  they  were 
unsparingly  lashed  by  all  the  authors  in  the  land.  The 
King's  sister,  Margaret  of  Navarre,  was  herself  a  brilliant 
authoress,  and  took  part  in  this  general  attack.  Though 
she  never  formally  accepted  Protestantism,  her  works 
prove  that  she  believed  many  of  its  teachings;  and  the 

early  French  reformers  found  in  her  a  constant  and  faith 

(35) 


I 
36  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

ful  friend.  Many  of  the  leading  French  ecclesiastics  felt 
the  necessity  of  a  reformation,  and  sought  in  their  own 
way  to  bring  it  about.  Briconnet,  Bishop  of  Meaux, 
gathered  around  him  such  men  as  Farel,  Lefevre,  and 
other  enthusiastic  evangelical  teachers,  and  sought  to  re- 
form his  diocese.  In  this  way  the  cause  of  the  Reforma- 
tion and  of  the  revival  of  letters  were  closely  allied,  and 
the  foremost  people  of  France  sympathized  with  the 
Protestant  movement.  Even  to  this  day  many  of  the 
leading  French  families  are  Protestant,  though  the  vast 
majority  of  the  population  belongs  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church. 

Protestantism  appeared  to  be  working  it's  way  through 
all  ranks  of  society  when  suddenly  it  received  a  blow 
from  an  unexpected  quarter.  In  1521  the  Sorbonne,  the 
chief  .theological  school  of  France,  declared  Luther  a 
heretic,  and  the  government  consequently  forbade  Pro- 
testant worship  under  the  severest  penalties.  Then  there 
came  a  time  of  persecution.  Farel  and  most  of  the  other 
reformers,  fled  for  their  lives,  and  some  of  them  found  a 
refuge  in  Geneva.  The  few  who  remained  in  France 
met  in  secret  places,  and  subsequently  organized  congre- 
gations under  the  guise  of  literary  societies,  calling  them 
by  such  fanciful  titles  as  the  Rose,  the  Lily,  the  Vine,  or 
the  Olive. 

John  Calvin  was  born  July  10,  1509,  at  Noyon,  near 
Paris.  His  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Francke 
(or  Le  Franc),  is  said  to  have  been  of  German  descent. 
His  parents  were  in  comfortable  circumstances,  and 


JOHN    CALVIN.  37 

gave  him  an  excellent  education.  Having  studied  suc- 
cessively at  Paris  and  Bourges,  he  acquired  a  brilliant 
reputation.  It  was  observed  that  he  had  no  fondness  for 
poetry,  but  his  fellow  students  declared  him  to  be  "all 
Logic  and  Latin."  Sometimes,  in  the  absence  of  one 
of  the  professors,  he  was  requested  to  teach  his  class, 
and  every  one  wondered  at  his  extraordinary  ability. 


CALVIN. 


At  the  request  of  his  parents  Calvin  studied  law,  and 
soon  became  familiar  with  the  principles  of  that  science. 
He  was,  however,  especially  attracted  to  the  study  of 
theology,  and  it  was  afterwards  said  that  he  had  studied 
law  by  day  and .  theology  at  night.  His  legal  studies 
had  an  immense  effect  in  shaping  his  mind,  and  in  sub- 
sequent years  he  proved  himself  a  statesman  of  the 
highest  order. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  a  period  of  the  deepest  gloom 
that  the  infant  church  was  electrified  by  the  news  that 
Calvin  had  been  converted  to  the  truth.  He  had  been 


38  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

under  the  instruction  of  a  celebrated  German  teacher, 
Melchior  Wolmar,  who  is  believed  to  have  been  the  first 
to  teach  him  not  only  to  read  but  to  understand  the 
word  of  God ;  but  he  always  spoke  of  his  conversion  as 
sudden  and  wonderful,  though  he  never  related  its  parti- 
culars. 

It  could  not  be  otherwise  than  that  such  a  man  should 
immediately  become  a  leader  in  the  cause  which  he  had 
espoused.  At  Paris  and  elsewhere  he  secretly  gathered 
the  scattered  believers  and  preached  the  word  of  God. 
Then  he  published  a  learned  commentary  on  some  of 
the  writings  of  the  heathen  philosopher  Seneca,  which 
was  intended  to  influence  the  king  to  treat  the  Pro- 
testants less  harshly.  Having  published  one  of  his 
sermons  he  was  compelled  to  flee,  and  found  a  tem- 
porary refuge  at  the  court  of  Margaret  of  Navarre.  He 
now  began  to  write  against  the  Anabaptists,  in  the 
hope  of  preventing  the  Reformation  from  running  into 
fanatical  extremes. 

For  about  a  year  Calvin  lived  in  retirement  in  Nor- 
mandy, under  the  assumed  name  of  Charles  d'Espeville. 
During  this  period  he  is  said  to  have  preached  to  a 
select  company,  in  a  cave  which  was  long  afterwards 
called  "the  cave  of  Calvin."  In  this  season  of  retirement 
he  collected  the  materials  for  his  great  work  "The 
Institutes  of  the  Christian  Religion." 

The  latter  work  was  first  published  anonymously  in 
1535;  but  the  first  edition  bearing  Calvin's  name  was 
printed  in  Basel  in  1536.  It  is  recognized  even  by  its 


JOHN    CALVIN.  39 

enemies  as  the  greatest  literary  achievement  of  the  six- 
teenth century.  No  other  Reformer  produced  anything 
that  was  so  complete  in  the  systematic  exposition  of 
Christian  doctrine.  Strangely  too,  though  the  author 
was  hardly  twenty-five  years  old  at  the  time  of  its  com- 
position, he  never  afterwards  altered  a  single  one  of  his 
doctrinal  positions.  He  added  to  it  in  every  subsequent 
edition,  but  at  the  very  beginning  his  system  was  com- 
plete, and  he  never  afterwards  found  occasion  to  change 
it. 

Calvin's  "  Institutes  "  are  a  development  of  the  ruling 
principle  of  his  thinking  and  of  his  life,  which  was,  as  he 
expressed  it,  the  utter  destruction  of  all  human  glory 
that  God  might  be  all  in  all.  This  principle,  together 
with  his  strictly  logical  and  literal  interpretation  of  St. 
Paul's  epistles,  gave  rise  to  his  doctrine  of  predestination, 
which  has  been  especially  known  as  "  Calvinism."  It 
must,  however,  be  remembered  that  on  this  subject  there 
was  no  difference  between  him  and  the  older  Reformers. 
Luther  and  Zwingli  would  both  in  these  days  be  called 
extreme  predestinarians.  They  all  acknowledged  them- 
selves disciples  of  St.  Augustine. 

With  regard  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
Calvin  taught  that  the  believer  partakes  of  the  body 
and  blood  of  Christ  in  the  Sacrament,  but  he  did  not 
bind  this  effect  to  the  visible  elements,  but  rather  be- 
lieved it  to  be  conveyed  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  This  is,  in  fact,  the  view  which,  more  fully  de- 
veloped, is  found  in  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  and  in  ai] 


4O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

the  other  symbols  of  the  Reformed  Church.  It  is  wrong 
to  imagine  that  Calvin  denied  the  real  presence  by  re- 
garding it  as  spiritual  in  its  nature.  It  is  the  spiritual 
alone  which  is  real  and  permanent;  the  material  is 
always  changeable  and  evanescent. 

When  Calvin  returned  to  Paris  after  his  season  of  re- 
tirement, he  found  the  affairs  of  the  Church  in  a  very 
depressed  condition.  The  king  was  persecuting  the 
Protestants  with  fire  and  sword,  and  had  burned  at  the 
stake  seven  men  and  women,  among  whom  was  one  of 
Calvin's  most  intimate  friends.  The  Protestants  in  retali- 
ation secretly  affixed  doctrinal  placards  to  the  walls  of 
public  buildings,  and  one  of  them  was  even  found  fast- 
ened to  the  wall  of  the  king's  bed-chamber.  It  was 
deemed  unsafe  for  Calvin  to  remain  in  France,  and  he 
consequently  went  first  to  Strasburg  and  then  to  Basel, 
hoping  to  devote  his  life  to  the  quiet  study  of  God's 
word.  Next  year  (1536)  he  came  to  Geneva.  He  had 
been  on  a  visit  to  the  pious  Duchess  of  Ferraraf,  and  only 
intended  to  remain  a  short  time ;  but  Farel,  who  had 
been  principally  instrumental  in  bringing  Geneva  to  Pro- 
testantism, insisted  that  he  must  assume  the  direction  of 
the  church.  When  Calvin  declined  this  proposition, 
Farel,  recognizing  in  him  the  man  for  the  hour,  exclaimed 
with  a  degree  of  earnestness  like  that  of  the  ancient 
prophets :  "  I  announce  to  you  in  the  name  of  Almighty 
God  that  if  you  do  not  remain  to  assist  me  in  the  holy 
work  to  which  I  am  called,  He  will  dreadfully  punish 
you  for  preferring  your  own  pleasure  to  His  service." 


JOHN    CALVIN.  41 

Such  an  appeal  was  irresistible,  and  Calvin  accepted  the 
call. 

Geneva  was  at  that  time  in  a  dreadful  condition.  There 
had  been  a  long  struggle  between  the  city  and  the  Duke 
of  Savoy,  who  had  sought  to  deprive  it  of  its  independ- 
ence. Berne  and  Fribourg  had  interfered  in  behalf  of 
liberty,  and  thus  Geneva  had  been  brought  into  close 
alliance  with  German  Switzerland.  Farel  and  Viretus 
preached  the  Gospel  with  extraordinary  effect,  and  on 
the  2/th  of  August  1535  the  council  declared  that  the 
city  had  passed  over  to  the  Reformed  Church.  For  some 
time  Geneva  was  in  a  state  of  anarchy.  Farel  had  gone 
to  extremes,  not  only  destroying  pictures  and  images  in 
the  churches,  but  even  requiring  the  removal  of  organs. 
All  who  would  not  accept  Protestantism  were  required 
to  sell  their  property  and  leave  the  country.  Among 
those  who  called  themselves  Protestants  there  were  some 
who  seemed  to  think  that  evangelical  freedom  must  allow 
them  to  indulge  in  the  wildest  excesses.  There  was  con- 
fusion everywhere.  Farel  felt  himself  unable  to  allay  the 
storm,  and  was  glad  to  become  subordinate  to  a  stronger 
man. 

Calvin  was  called  upon  to  build  up  a  social  order 
which  had  been  utterly  broken  down.  It  was  an  im- 
mense work,  but  he  proved  himself  equal  to  the  occasion. 
In  conjunction  with  the  other  pastors  he  preached  pow- 
erfully against  existing  abuses,  and  sought  to  establish 
church-discipline,  but  for  a  time  it  seemed  as  though 
every  effort  in  this  direction  must  be  in  vain.  The 


42  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

wickedness  of  the  people  became  so  great  that  Calvin 
and  his  co-adjutors  refused  to  administer  the  Lord's 
Supper  until  there  were  signs  of  moral  improvement. 
They  persisted  in  their  refusal,  though  threatened  with 
death,  and  finally  Calvin  and  Farel  left  the  city,  saying, 
"  It  is  better  to  obey  God  than  man."  Calvin  remained 
two  years  in  Strasburg,  ministering  to  a  congregation  of 
fifteen  hundred  French  refugees,  and  taking  part  in  the 
general  affairs  of  the  Church.  In  the  meantime  the 
state  of  affairs  in  Geneva  had  grown  worse  and  worse. 
At  last  there  came  a  reaction.  It  was  felt  that  the  city 
had  need  of  Calvin,  and  the  council  vainly  urged  him  to 
return.  Finally,  in  1541,  when  the  authorities  of  a 
number  of  Reformed  cities  had  solicited  him  to  come  to 
the  rescue,  he  returned  to  Geneva,  with  the  full  under- 
standing that  his  plans  of  discipline  were  to  be  carried 
out. 

From  this  time  to  the  end  of  his  life  no  king  in  Europe 
exercised  such  power  as  did  John  Calvin.  His  salary 
was  only  250  francs,  with  a  '  plain  house,'  which  is  still 
standing  near  the  old  church,  and  to  this  the  council 
occasionally  added  a  gift  of  cloth  for  a  new  coat.  He 
cared  nothing  for  money  or  display,  but  soon  bent  every- 
thing to  his  iron  will.  He  arranged  the  laws  of  the 
state,  and  Ancillon  says  that  his  "  labors  for  civil  law 
give  him  a  higher  title  to  renown  than  his  theological 
works."  His  views  with  regard  to  the  character  and 
functions  of  the  Church  were  much  higher  than  those  of 
his  cotemporaries.  The  Church  he  regarded  as  standing 


JOHN    CALVIN.  43 

higher  than  the  State,  whose  main  object  it  is  to  aid  her 
in  the  preservation  of  truth  and  order.  "  Man,"  he  said, 
"  cannot  enter  into  life  unless  he  be  born  of  her  womb, 
nourished  at  her  breast,  and  kept  under  her  fostering 
care."  In  accordance  with  these  views  he  insisted  on  the 
independence  of  the  Church  from  the  control  of  the  State. 
It  is  to  him  that  the  Reformed  Church  owes  its  classes, 
or  presbyteries,  and  its  consistories.  .  He  also  was  the 
first  to  define  the  four  offices  of  the  church  :  Minister 
of  the  Word,  Teacher  of  Theology,  Elder,  and  Deacon. 
Thus  in  many  ways,  he  influenced  the  organization  ot 
the  Reformed  Church.  He  had  no  trust  in  princes,  and 
taught  the  churches  self-reliance  and  independence.  As 
may  well  be  supposed,  this  course  did  not  remove  the 
suspicion  with  which  the  defenders  of  absolute  govern- 
ment regarded  the  Swiss  churches. 

The  discipline  which  Calvin  introduced  into  the 
Church  of  Geneva  was  exceedingly  strict  and  stern,  and 
could  hardly  have  been  carried  out  in  a  larger  state. 
The  Church,  indeed,  decreed  no  greater  punishment 
than  ex-communication,  but  the  government  generally 
declared  the  excommunicated  persons  deprived  of  all 
civil  rights.  When  those  who  were  disciplined  by  the 
Church  appealed  to  the  State  for  redress,  the  punishment 
was  apt  to  be  increased,  and  sometimes  even  Calvin's 
intercession  could  not  secure  a  milder  sentence. 

Though  Calvin's  discipline  appears  to  have  been  ex- 
tremely harsh,  it  was  probably  the  only  thing  that  was 
suited  to  the  exigencies  of  the  case.  Its  success  was 


44  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

wonderful.  Perfect  order  was  established,  and  the  city 
became  exceedingly  prosperous.  Geneva  became  the 
most  quiet  and  orderly  <jity  in  Europe,  and  men  of  the 
most  diverse  religious  views  were  unanimous  in  declar- 
ing their  astonishment  at  the  great  change  which  Calvin's 
system  had  effected.  By  the  power  of  church-discipline 
Calvin  produced  an  effect  which  in  these  days  would  re- 
quire a  standing  army  and  a  multitude 'of  police. 

This  close  union  of  Church  and  State  sometimes  led  to 
great  excesses.  The  most  flagrant  of  these  was  the 
burning  of  Servetus  for  heresy.  Servetus  was  a  Spanish 
physician  who  had  written  a  book  against  the  Trinity  in 
which  he  uttered  the  most  dreadful  blasphemies.  He 
came  to  Geneva  with  the  intention  of  leading  a  party 
known  as  the  Libertines,  in  their  opposition  to  the  exist- 
ing order.  He  was  arrested,  and  after  a  long  trial  was 
condemned  to  be  burnt  at  the  stake.  Calvin  vainly, 
interfered  to  have  his  punishment  changed  to  decapita- 
tion. The  indignation  of  the  people  was  so  intense  that 
nothing  short  of  the  execution  of  the  ancient  law  would 
satisfy  them,  'and  the  dreadful  decree  was  carried  out. 
On  this  subject  we  can  only  quote  the  words  of  the 
"American  Cyclopedia:"  "The  execution  was  in  accord- 
ance with  the  laws  of  all  the  European  states  of  the  time. 
It  was  the  inherited  spirit  of  the  times,  and  not  the  power 
of  Calvin  that  burnt  Servetus.  The  penalty  was  cruel; 
it  is  indefensible;  it  was  even  at  that  time  impolitic. 
Neither  civil  nor  religious  liberty  was  yet  understood; 
still  less  was  there  any  sharp  distinction  made  between 


JOHN    CALVIN.  45 

them.  That  analysis  was  the  fruit  of  time,  and  of  the 
seed  which  Calvin  was  then  sowing  in  Geneva."  It 
should  also  be  remembered  that  in  that  period  of  convul- 
sion such  events  were  happening,  among  the  Catholics  and 
Protestants,  all  over  Europe.  Even  as  late  as  1601  the 
Protestant  authorities  of  Saxony  executed  Dr.  Nicholas 
Krell  because  he  sought  to  introduce  "  the  peculiar  doc- 
trines of  Calvin." 

After  long  discussion,  the  churches  of  Zurich  and 
Berne  united  with  Geneva,  in  1549,  in  a  common  confes- 
sion of  faith  concerning  the  Lord's  Supper.  There  were 
still  many  local  differences,  but  the  Swiss  churches  were 
practically  united.  Calvin's  fame  and  influence  now 
rapidly  increased.  He  established  a  Theological  institu- 
tion at  Geneva  which  opened  with  six  hundred  students. 
Theodore  Beza,  his  ardent  friend,  biographer,  and  suc- 
cessor, was  the  first  rector.  Calvin  taught  theology, 
though  he  refused  the  title  of  professor,  and  the  brightest 
young  men  of  many  nations  gathered  around  him. 
The  most  celebrated  of  these  was  John  Knox,  who  was 
afterwards  mainly  instrumental  in  founding  arid  organ- 
izing the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland. 

The  amount  of  labor  which  Calvin  performed  at  this 
period  is  almost  incredible.  Tnough  he  was  in  bad 
health,  and,  it  was  said,  "looked  like  a  ghost,"  he  some- 
times for  long  periods  preached  every  day,  taught  theol- 
ogy, wrote  books,  and  was  actively  engaged  in  directing 
the  affairs  of  Church  and  State.  His  correspondence  was 
enormous.  Cranmer  sought  his  advice  with  reference  to 


46  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

the  organization  of  the  Church  of  England.     In  Holland 

o  o 

his  letters  made  men  strong  to  battle  for  their  rights. 
Far  away  in  Poland,  Bohemia,  and  Hungary,  his  advice 
was  sought  in  respect  to  the  organization  of  the  Churches. 
Among  the  Protestants  of  France  his  influence  was  almost 
unlimited,  and  in  Spain  and  Italy  he  secretly  had  many 
devoted  adherents.  Even  in  Germany  his  influence  was 
extensive,  but  here  his  system  was  never  fully  received 
even  by  those  who  accepted  his  doctrine  of  the  sacra- 
ments. It  was  said  that  "  Calvin  never  slept,"  and  it  is 
true  that  "  many  a  night  he  did  not  sleep,  and  many  a 
day  he  had  no  time  to  look  up  to  the  light  of  the  blessed 
sun."  Utterly  worn  out,  he  died  in  his  fifty-fifth  year,  on 
the  2/th  of  May  1564.  His  whole  estate  amounted  to 
about  250  dollars,  and  at  his  own  request  no  monument 
Was  erected  over  his  grave. 

It  is  difficult  to  form  a  just  estimate  of  such  a  person 
as  John  Calvin.  He  is  generally  represented  as  a  hard, 
stern  man,  who  disliked  poetry  and  art,  and  had  no  room 
in  his  head  for  those  tender  affections  which  are  the 
solace  of  life.1  Yet  Beza,  who  was  a  distinguished  poet, 

1  As  was  to  be  expected,  Calvin  could  not  escape  the  tongue  of  slander; 
and  his  enemies  repeated  many  calumnies  concerning  his  private  life, 
some  of  which  are  still  occasionally  brought  forth  from  their  hiding-places. 
These  stories  are  mostly  derived  from  Bolsec,  a  personal  enemy  of  Calvin 
who  was  banished  from  Geneva,  and  who  after  returning  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  took  a  mean  revenge  by  writing  a  book  full  of  the  most 
outrageous  calumnies.  These  have  often  been  refuted ;  and  even  Catholic 
historians — such  as  Masson,  De  May,  and  Michelet — express  their  horror 
at  the  falsehoods  of  Bjlsec. 


JOHN    CALVIN.  47 

with  a  keen  appreciation  of  everything  that  is  beautiful 
and  sweet,  loved  that  stern,  cold  theologian  with  more 
than  filial  affection.  Melanchthon  said  of  him  "  that  he 
wished  he  could  lay  his  weary  head  upon  that  faithful 
heart  and  die  there."  Farel,  Viretus,  Bullinger,  and 
Bucer,  confessed  that  they  were  devotedly  attached  to 
him.  Calvin  was  no  doubt  a  fierce  controversialist,  but 
a  person  who  enjoyed  the  affection  of  such  men  as  these 
can  hardly  be  regarded  as  cold  and  unimpressive. 

Calvin  was  probably  the  most  eminent  man  in  the 
history  of  the  Reformed  Church,  but  he  is  in  no  sense  to 
be  regarded  as  its  founder.  He  was  at  best  the  most 
prominent  director  of  one  of  the  chief  currents  which 
entered  into  its  life. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Palatinate — Frederick  the  Pious — The  Heidelberg  Catechism 
—  Caspar  Olevianus — Zacharias  Ursimts. 

THE  third  great  source  of  the  Reformed  Church  must 
be  sought  in  the  Palatinate.  There  are,  however,  no 
doubt,  many  young  geographers  who  would  be  puzzled 
to  define  the  limits  of  that  historic  region,  and  even 
among  older  students  there  are  probably  not  a  few  who 
would  be  inclined  to  say  of  it,  as  the  historian  Lambarde 
said  of  a  certain  undefined  district  in  England,  that  "  it 
would  be  easier  to  deny  its  existence  altogether  than  to 
attempt  to  indicate  its  extent."  The  fact  is,  that  the 
Palatinate  has  disappeared  from  the  map  of  Europe,  its 
territories  having  been  absorbed  by  avaricious  neighbors, 
but  the  name  is  so  illustrious  in  history  that  it  will  prob- 
ably never  cease  to  be  popularly  applied  to  the  region 
that  was  at  one  time  included  within  its  boundaries. 

At  the  time  of  its  greatest  political  importance  the 
Palatinate  consisted  of  two  large  provinces,  which  were 
not  contiguous,  with  several  outlying  principalities.  The 
Upper  Palatinate  (Ober-Pfals)  was  situated  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  present  kingdom  of  Bavaria.  Its  principal 
town  was  Amberg.  Though  governed  by  the  elector  of 
the  Palatinate,  its  people  took  but  little  part  in  the  relig- 
ious movements  which  claim  our  present  attention.  They 

(48) 


FREDERICK   THE    PIOUS.  49 

had  become  Lutheran  early  in  the  Reformation,  and 
most  of  them  are  even  now  members  of  the  same  church. 
The  Lower  Palatinate  (Unter-Pfalz  or  Rhein-Pfalz)  was 
by  far  the  most  important  of  the  elector's  possessions. 
It  is  often  called  "  Wein-Pfalz"  on  account  of  the  abund- 
ance of  wine  which  it  produces.  Situated  on  both  sides  of 
the  Rhine,  and  extending  upward  along  the  banks  of  the 
beautiful  Neckar,  it  has  always  been  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  fertile  countries  in  the  world.  It  consisted  of 
five  principalities :  Simmern,  Zweibruecken,  Sponheim, 
Veldenz,  and  the  Palatinate  Proper.  The  principal  cities 
were  Heidelberg,  Manheim  and  Franckenthal. 

FREDERICK    THE    PIOUS. 

In  1559  the  elector  Otto  Heinrich  died  without  child- 
dren,  and  the  succession  passed  to  Frederick  III.,  a 
prince  of  the  house  of  Simmern.  Frederick  was  born  at 
Simmern  in  1515,  and  was  educated  a  Catholic;  but  had 
been  converted  to  Protestantism,  mainly,  it  is  believed, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  celebrated  John  De 
Lasky.  His  conversion  was  thoroughly  sincere,  and  he 
was  always  ready  if  needs  be,  to  suffer  and  die  for  the 
cause  of  truth. 

In  his  early  manhood  Frederick  had  distinguished 
himself  in  the  wars  against  the  Turks,  and,  having  thus 
become  very  popular,  there  was  great  rejoicing  when  he 
attained  to  the  electoral  dignity.*  He  was,  indeed,  a 
model  prince.  In  his  character  gentleness  and  firmness 
were  wonderfully  blended.  His  reputation  was  beyond 


5O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

the  reach  of  calumny,  and  the  trust  in  God,  which  kept 
him  safe  in  the  midst  of  trials,  was  the  constant  wonder 
of  his  cotemporaries.  It  must,  however,  not  be  forgotten 
that  Frederick  believed  himself  to  be  the  absolute  ruler 
of  his  people  in  religious  no  less  than  in  secular  matters. 
It  was  at  his  court  that  the  Swiss  physician,  Thomas 
Erastus,  taught  the  doctrine,  since  known  as  Erastian- 
ism,  that  all  ecclesiastical  authority  is  subordinate  to  the 
civil  power.  Those  who  held  to  this  view  were  in  the 
habit  of  saying  "  Cujiis  rcgio  illius  religio"  which  has 
been  rendered,  "  Who  owns  the  region  owns  the  relig- 
ion." 

On  this  subject,  it  will  be  observed,  Frederick  occupied 
a  position  as  far  distant  as  possible  from  that  of  Calvin. 
The  latter  advocated  the  independence  of  the  Church 
in  matters  of  discipline,  and  was  even  inclined  to 
regard  the  State  as  the  handmaid  of  the  Church.  Fred- 
erick, on  the  other  hand,  was  a  German  prince,  and,  like 
others  of  his  order,  supposed  himself  to  be,  by  virtue 
of  his  office,  the  head  of  the  Church  in  the  country  over 
which  he  ruled.  He  firmly  believed  that  he  was  respons- 
ible to  God  for  the  faith  of  his  individual  subjects,  and 
therefore  sought  to  be  their  religious  guide  no  less  than 
their  temporal  ruler.  With  this  purpose  he  became  a 
profound  student  of  theology,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  use 
his  secular  power  in  enforcing  the  acceptance  of  what  he 
believed  to  be  the  truth.  He  was,  however,  thoroughly 
sincere;  and  if  any  one  had  accused  him  of  unnecessary 
rigor  in  the  execution  of  his  decrees,  he  might  have  re- 


PHILIPISM.  51 

plied  in  Scriptural  language:  "The  zeal  of  thine  house 
hath  eaten  me  up." 

PHILIPISM. 

Philip  Melanchthon  (1497-1560)  had  been  the  ruling 
spirit  in  the  reformation  of  the  Palatinate.  As  Protest- 
antism was  not  formally  introduced  there  until  1 546 — the 
year  of  Luther's  death — the  whole  work  of  organizing 
the  church  may  be  said  to  have  been  confided  to  his 
care.  The  order  which  he  introduced  closely  resembled 
that  of  Wurtemberg.  It  was  Lutheran  in  its  general 
characteristics,  but  was  mild  and  conciliatory;  and  it 
seemed  for  a  while  as  though  under  its  influence,  the 
old  confessional  differences  would  entirely  disappear. 

Melanchthon's  history  is  so  well  known  that  it  is  not 
necessary  that  we  should  relate  its  details.  He  was  the 
only  one  of  the  prominent  reformers  who  was  born  in  the 
Palatinate.  As  the  foremost  scholar  of  his  age,  the  value 
of  his  services  in  the  cause  of  the  Reformation  was  in- 
estimable ;  and  in  the  inscription  placed  on  his  tomb  at 
his  burial  he  is  justly  termed  "  the  most  industrious  and 
most  faithful  of  the  assistants  of  Dr.  Martin  Luther  in  ex- 
plaining and  sustaining  the  pure  doctrine  of  the  Word  of 
God." 

Melanchthon  was  at  first  greatly  prejudiced  against  the 
Swiss  Reformers;  but  when  he  came  to  know  them  better, 
he  regarded  many  of  them  with  tender  affection.  Calvin, 
Bucer  and  De  Lasky  became  his  most  intimate  friends 
and  correspondents.  Though  he  always  maintained 


52  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Luther's  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  he  acknowledged 
that  Calvin's  view  might  at  least  be  tolerated;  and  he 
therefore  changed  the  tenth  article  of  the  Augsburg  Con- 
fession, of  which  he  was  the  author,  so  that  it  might  be 
acceptable  to  the  Reformed  Church.  In  conjunction 
with  Bucer,  he,  in  1536,  drew  up  terms  of  union  between 
the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Churches.  These  articles 
were  approved  by  Luther,  and  were  formally  adopted  by 
the  Reformed  Churches  of  Switzerland,  but  eight  years 
later,  Luther  unexpectedly  repudiated  them.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  he  was  prompted  to  this  act  by  a  manifest 
tendency  among  his  own  immediate  followers  towards 
the  acceptance  of  the  Reformed  doctrine.  Melanchthon, 
however,  remained  faithful  to  the  agreement  to  the  end  of 
his  life. 

Even  before  Luther's  death,  Melanchthon  was  regarded 
with  suspicion  by  the  extremists  of  his  own  church. 
The  fact  that  he  had  changed  the  Augsburg  Confession, 
to  accommodate  the  Reformed  Church,  was  considered 
by  them  an  unpardonable  act  of  treason.  After  the 
death  of  the  great  master,  this  feeling  became  intense. 

O  '  O 

Melanchthon's  disciples  were  contemptuously  called  Phil- 
ipists,  after  the  name  of  their  teacher,  who  was  familiarly 
known  as  "  Master  Philip."  "  Philipism"  was  declared 
to  be  as  bad  as  Calvinism.  Minor  points  of  difference 
between  Luther  and  Melanchthon  were  sought  out  and 
made  the  occasion  of  a  series  of  bitter  controversies. 
Melanchthon's  friends  were  in  many  instances  deposed 
and  banished  for  trivial  reasons,  and  the  extremists 


PHILIPISTS.  53 

did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  they  would  not  rest  until 
they  had  driven  Melanchthon  himself  out  of  Germany. 
In  this  purpose  they  were  foiled,  for  Melanchthon 
had  powerful  friends ;  but  it  is  not  surprising  that  he 
prayed  to  be  delivered  from  "  the  wrath  of  the  theologi- 
ans," and  that,  a  short  time  before  his  death,  he  even 
seriously  proposed  to  go  to  Palestine  to  spend  his  re- 
maining days  in  the  cell  once  occupied  by  St.  Jerome  in 
Bethlehem. 

In  1552,  the  old  sacramental  controversy  broke  out 
with  renewed  violence.  Joachim  Westphal,  Lutheran 
pastor  at  Hamburg,  sounded  the  trumpet  for  the  on- 
slaught against  the  Swiss  churches,  and  he  was  power- 
fully seconded  by  Matthias  Flacius,  Tilemann  Heshusius, 
and  many  others.  The  occasion  for  this  assault  was 
probably  the  formal  union  of  the  Zwinglians  and  Calvin- 
ists  in  the  Zurich  Consensus  of  1549,  which  had  rendered 
the  Reformed  Church  more  powerful  than  it  had  pre- 
viously been.  The  attack  was,  however,  most  effective 
against  the  Philipists  and  secret  Calvinists  (Crypto- 
Calvinists)  in  the  Lutheran  Church,  who  were  made  to 
suffer  intensely.  When  in  the  reigns  of  Philip  and  Mary, 
thousands  of  English  and  Dutch  Protestants  fled  to 
escape  persecution,  they  were  refused  a  refuge  in  many 
parts  of  Germany,  because  they  were  regarded  as  be- 
longing to  the  Reformed  Church.  In  the  Palatinate, 
however,  more  moderate  counsels  prevailed.  The  for- 
eign fugitives  were  welcomed,  and  many  of  them  settled 
in  that  country,  especially  in  the  town  of  Franckenthal, 


54  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

which  by  their  industry  and  enterprise,  they  soon  raised 
to  a  high  degree  of  prosperity. 

When  Frederick  III.  assumed  the  government  he  had 
no  idea  of  introducing  the  Reformed  Church,  but  he  soon 
found  himself  involved  in  the  prevalent  controversy. 
Heshusius,  a  strict  Lutheran,  and  Klebitz,  a  disciple  of 
Calvin,  were  engaged  in  a  violent  discussion,  by  which 
the  minds  of  the  people  were  greatly  excited.  Frederick, 
by  the  advice  of  Melanchthon,  dismissed  both  the  con- 
testants from  their  charges,  but  peace  did  not  ensue.  It 
soon  became  impossible  to  hold  the  irenical  position  of 
Melanchthon.  Frederick  was  forced  to  take  sides  in  the 
conflict,  and,  in  1559,  he  formally  passed  over  to  the  Re- 
formed Church,  though  he  always  insisted  that  he  had 
not  in  any  way  renounced  his  allegiance  to  the  Augsburg 
Confession.  It  was  a  bold  step,  but  its  effects  were  ex- 
traordinary. Hitherto  the  existence  of  the  Reformed 
Church  had  .not  been  officially  recognized  in  Germany, 
but  now  its  position  was  secure,  and  it  soon  became  the 
leading  church  along  the  whole  course  of  the  Rhine, 
from  its  source  to  the  ocean. 

THE    HEIDELBERG   CATECHISM. 

After  the  Palatinate  had  passed  over  to  the  Reformed 
Church,  a  new  Confession  of  Faith  became  absolutely 
necessary.  The  German  people  generally  knew  but 
little  concerning  the  Reformed  Church,  and  ascribed  to 
it  many  errors  which  no  one  had  ever  dreamed  of  main- 
taining. Heshusius  even  hinted  that  Frederick  was 


CASPAR   OLEVIAXUS. 


55 


preparing  his  people  to  become  Mohammedan,  in  antici- 
pation of  a  Turkish  invasion.  The  Elector,  therefore, 
determined  to  prepare  a  catechism  which  would  not  only 
properly  represent  the  faith  of  the  Reformed  Church, 
but  might  serve  as  a  means  of  conveying  its  precious 
truths  to  subsequent  generations.  With  this  intention  he 
selected  two  young  men  to  engage  in  the  work  of  its 
composition,  and  the  result  proved  the  wisdom  of  his 
choice.  These  were  Olevianus  and  Ursinus,  the  first  of 
whom  was  but  twenty-six  and  the  other  twenty-eight 
years  of  age.  Together  they  produced  a  work  which 
has  ever  since  been  regarded  as  the  crown  and  glory  of 
the  Reformed  Church. 


OLEVIANUS. 


Caspar  Olevianus  (1535-1587)  was  a  disciple  of  Cal- 
vin. He  was  a  native  of  Treves,  and  belonged  to  a 
wealthy  family  whose  name  was  properly  Von  der  Ole- 
wig.  Having  passed  through  the  schools  of  his  native 
city,  he  went  to  Paris,  and  then  to  Bourges,  to  complete 


56  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

his  education.  Here  he  studied  law,  but  secretly  devoted 
much  time  to  reading  the  Scriptures.  One  of  the  sons 
of  Frederick  III. — who  was  then  only  Count  of  Sim- 
mern — was  also  a  student,  and  the  two  young  men  soon 
became  intimate  friends.  One  day  they  took  a  walk  on 
the  banks  of  the  Oron  river,  in  company  with  the  private 
tutor  of  the  prince.  They  were  met  by  a  party  of  young 
German  noblemen,  who  proposed  that  they  should  all 
cross  the  river  in  a  boat  Olevianus  declined  to  accom- 
pany them,  as  some  of  the  party  had  taken  too  much 
wine,  but  the  prince  and  his  tutor  accepted  the  invita- 
tion. In  the  middle  of  the  river  they  began  playfully  to 
rock  the  boat;  it  was  thus  upset,  and  the  whole  party 
was  drowned.  Olevianus  sprang  into  the  water  and 
tried  to  rescue  the  prince,  but  it  was  in  vain,  and  he  him- 
self almost  lost  his  life.  In  his  greatest  peril  he  vowed 
that  if  God  would  save  his  life  he  would  consecrate  it 
entirely  to  the  conversion  of  his  native  land.  Having 
been  wonderfully  rescued,  he  remembered  his  vow,  and 
the  father  of  the  young  prince  subsequently  became  his 
best  friend  and  patron.  Like  Calvin,  Olevianus  now 
sought  admission  into  one  of  the  secret  Reformed 
churches,  and  then  successively  visited  Geneva  and 
Zurich.  Returning  to  his  native  city,  he  began  to  preach 
the  Tjospel,  but  was  arrested  and  cast  into  prison.  De- 
livered through  the  potent  intercession  of  Frederick,  he 
went  to  Heidelberg,  where  he  was  at  first  professor  of 
theology,  and  subsequently  pastor  of  the  principal 
church  of  the  city.  He  was  a  man  of  extraordinary 


ZACHARIAS    URSINUS.  57 

eloquence,  and  was  far  more  instrumental  in  the  general 
work  of  organizing  the  church  than  the  retiring  and 
scholarly  Ursinus.  His  part  in  the  composition  of  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism  was  by  no  means  insignificant,  as 
has  sometimes  been  represented.  Traces  of  his  hand 
may  be  noticed  almost  everywhere,  and  Sudhoff  insists 
that  after  Ursinus  had  composed  the  catechism  in  Latin, 
Olevianus  prepared  the  German  version.  This  is  proba- 
ble from  a  comparison  of  the  style  of  the  two  men,  as 
manifested  by  their  separate  compositions.  It  is  also 
almost  certain  that  what  is  said  in  the  Catechism  con- 
cerning the  Office  of  the  Keys  and  Christian  Discipline 
was  derived  from  Olevianus,  as  its  substance  may  be 
found  in  his  previous  writings. 

After  the  death  of  the  Elector  Frederick,  Olevianus 
went  to  Herborn,  where  he  spent  his  remaining  years. 
He  passed  away  from  earth  on  the  I5th  of  March,  1587. 
When  he  was  evidently  drawing  near  his  end,  some  one 
asked  him  whether  he  was  certain  of  salvation,  and  he 
i-eplied,  laying  his  hand  on  his  heart:  "  Certissimus"  that 
is,  "  Most  certain."  With  this  beautiful  word  his  spirit 
winged  its  flight  to  heaven. 

ZacJiarias  Ursinus  (1534-1583)  was  a  faithful  disciple 
of  Melanchthon.  He  was  a  native  of  Breslau,  in  Silesia, 
where  his  family,  whose  name  was  Von  Baer,  were  reck- 
oned among  the  nobility.  His  father  was  a  clergyman, 
who  had  Latinized  the  name,  according  to  the  fashion  of 
the  times. 

Ursinus    studied    at   Wittenberg,   where  he  acquired 


HISTORIC    MANUAL. 


great  distinction,  and  was  declared  by  Melanchthon  to  be 
his  most  promising  pupil.  Subsequently  he  visited  the 
universities  of  Switzerland  and  France,  and  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Bullinger,  Calvin  and  Peter  Martyr. 
Accused  of  "  Philipism,"  or  possibly  Calvinism,  he  at  a 
later  date,  fled  from  Silesia  and  found  a  refuge  in  Swit- 
zerland. Peter  Martyr  had  been  requested  by  Frederick 
to  assist  in  the  organization  of  the  Church  of  the  Palati- 


URSINUS. 


nate,  but  feeling  the  weight  of  years,  he  recommended 
Ursinus  to  take  his  place.  Concerning  the  latter  Fred- 
erick subsequently  said  to  a  Silesian :  "  His  fatherland 
was  not  worthy  of  such  a  man.  Tell  your  countrymen 
to  banish  many  such  men,  so  that  they  may  come  to 
me." 

Ursinus  became  Professor  of  Theology  at  Heidelberg. 
He  was  not  gifted  as  a  preacher,  but  was  an  excellent 
instructor.  When  he  and  Olevianus  were  directed  to 
prepare  a  confession  of  faith,  each  of  them  submitted  a 


ZACHARIAS    URSINUS.  59 

plan.  That  of  Ursinus  was  preferred  by  the  Elector,  and 
he  thus  became  the  main  author  of  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism. To  him  it  owes  its  irenic  character;  for  it  is 
known  that  the  polemic  questions  were  inserted  at  the 
direct  command  of  the  elector.  In  its  composition  he 
used  materials  found  in  the  catechisms  of  Calvin  and  De 
Lasky,  but  the  originality  of  his  work  has  never  been 
questioned.  "The  Heidelberg  Catechism,"  says  Max 
Goebel,  "  may  be  regarded  as  the  flower  and  fruit  of  the 
entire  German  and  French  Reformation ;  it  has  Lutheran 
sincerity,  Melanchthonian  clearness,  Zwinglian  simplicity, 
and  Calvinistic  fire.  Whoever  is  not  familiar  with  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism,  does  not  -know  the  German  Re- 
formed Church,  as  it  was  and  as  it  still  remains ;  who- 
ever is  acquainted  with  all  its  particulars,  its  excellencies 
and  imperfections,  is  alone  able  to  appreciate  the  Chris- 
tian spirit  and  Christian  life  of  our  Reformed  Church  in 
all  its  strength  and  weakness." 

Ursinus  was  personally  a  man  of  retiring  disposition, 
who  made  but  few  intimate  friends,  and  took  the  greatest 
delight  in  profound  study.  He  did  not  like  to  be  dis- 
turbed in  his  work,  and  over  the  door  of  his  study  he 
had  placed  an  inscription  in  Latin  verses  to  the  following 
effect :  "  Friend,  whoever  thou  art,  if  thou  comest  to  me, 
be  brief.  Either  leave  me  soon,  or  aid  me  in  my  labors." 
In  the  opinion  of  his  contemporaries,  Ursinus  lived  a  life 
of  prayer,  which  seemed  too  pure  and  holy  for  this  world. 
It  was  said  that  he  never  spoke  an  unnecessary  word, 
and  yet  all  who*  were  brought  into  contact  with  him 


6O  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

could  not  help  loving  him  for  the  almost  angelic  sweet- 
ness of  his  character. 

After  the  death  of  Frederick,  the  opponents  of  the 
Catechism  enjoyed  a  temporary  triumph,  during  the  brief 
reign  of  his  son  Louis,  and  Ursinus  left  Heidelberg  to 
become  a  Professor  in  a  Reformed  Theological  Seminary 
which  Frederick's  second  son,  John  Casimir,  had  just 
founded  in  Neustadt.  Here,  after  five  years  of  faithful 
labor,  his  noble  life  was  brought  to  a  close,  on  the  6th  of 
March,  1583,  in  the  forty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  The 
inscription  on  his  monument  in  the  church  at  Neustadt 
justly  calls  him  "a  great  theologian,  a  conqueror  of 
heresies  concerning  the  Person  of  Christ  and  the  Lord's 
Supper,  mighty  with  word  and  pen,  an  acute  philoso- 
pher, a  wise  man,  and  a  stern  instructor  of  youth." 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Defense  of  the  Catechism —  The  Second  Helvetic  Confession — 
The  Diet  of  Aitgsbiirg — Frederick's  Later  Years — After  Fred- 
erick's Death. 

THE  Heidelberg  Catechism  is  so  mild  and  pacific  in 
its  general  character  that  we  can  hardly  realize  how  its 
publication,  in  1563,  could  have  given  the  signal  for 
one  of  the  most  violent  conflicts  in  the  history  of  the 
Church.  No  doubt  its  authors  did  not  expect  their 
work  to  be  received  without  question;  but  the  fierce- 
ness of  the  attacks  which  it  invoked  must  have  far 
exceeded  their  anticipations.  The  Roman  Catholics 
were  of  course  its  bitter  enemies.  The  Council  of 
Trent,  which  had  been  in  session  for  many  years,  was 
just  coming  to  a  close.  Though  ostensibly  called  to 
restore  peace  to  the  Church,  it  had  but  served  to  inten- 
sify the  existing  bitterness.  It  had  been  entirely  under 
Jesuit  influence:  the  Protestants  had  not  been  heard, 
and  the  anathemas  by  which  they  were  condemned 
were  unexampled  in  their  violence.  It  has  been  said 
that  "  nobody  can  curse  like  the  pope,"  and  the  coun- 
cil certainly  adequately  expressed  the  papal  sentiments. 

It  is  not  impossible  that  the  publication  of  these  anath- 
emas may  have  had  some  influence  on  the  Elector  Fred- 
erick, in  inducing  him  to  insist  on  the  insertion,  in  the 

(61) 


62  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

second  edition  of  the  catechism,  of  the  celebrated  Soth 
question,  in  which  the  mass  is  declared  to  be  "  an 
accursed  idolatry."  Compared  with  the  decrees  of  the 
council,  this  was  a  moderate  statement.  It  did  not 
curse  individual  opponents,  as  the  Roman  Catholics  had 
done,  but  -was  at  most  a  very  emphatic  assertion  of  the 
grounds  which  had  induced  Protestants  to  reject  the 
mass.  The  fact,  however,  that  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism had,  in  unmistakable  language,  declared  the  uni- 
versal sentiment  of  Protestants  with  reference  to  this 
subject,  was  enough  to  exasperate  the  Romanists  to 
employ  all  possible  means  for  its  suppression. 

The  extreme  Lutheran  party  was  hardly  less  violent. 
Heshusius,  the  controversialist  whom  Frederick  had 
expelled  from  Heidelberg,  saw  his  opportunity,  and  at 
his  instigation  the  pulpits  of  northern  Germany  rang  with 
denunciations.  The  Catechism  was  charged  with  teach- 
ing doctrines  contrary  to  the  Augsburg  Confession, 
especially  with  reference  to  the  Person  of  Christ  and  the 
Lord's  Supper,  and  the  emperor  and  princes  were  ad- 
jured to  employ  the  sword  of  secular  power  for  the 
extinction  of  heresy. 

In  describing  a  storm,  it  is  in  vain  to  attempt  to  speak 
of  every  single  blast.  The  elector's  troubles  rapidly  ac- 
cumulated. Even  his  household  was  divided,  and  his 
eldest  son  Louis,  who  ruled  the  Upper  Palatinate  as  his 
father's  representative,  took  sides  with  the  extreme  Luth- 
eran party.  All  this  opposition,  however,  only  served 
to  fortify  Frederick  in  his  position ;  he  proceeded  to  re- 


THE  DEFENSE  OF  THE  CATECHISM.         63 

move  pictures  and  crucifixes  from  the  churches,  and 
introduced  the  Calvinistic  form  of  church  government, 
which  many  of  the  German  princes  regarded  as  treason 
to  the  privileges  of  their  order.  In  reply  to  the  accusa- 
tions brought  against  him,  he  calmly  asserted  his  faithful 
adherence  to  the  Augsburg  Confession.  With  regard  to 
the  question  of  the  real  presence,  his  declarations  were 
clear  and  decided.  Thus  he  says  in  his  reply  to  the 
princes  who  had  accused  him  of  Zwinglianism  and  Cal- 
vinism :  "  We  would  kindly  inform  you  that  we  have 
never  been  greatly  troubled  to  know  what  Zwingli  and 
Calvin  wrote,  and  have  not  read  their  books.  ...  If  it 
is  Zwinglianism  and  Calvinism  to  suppose  that  the  ele- 
ments in  the  Lord's  Supper  are  mere  signs,  and  that  the 
body  and  blood  of  Christ  are  not  present,  or  received,1 
we  beg  to  inform  you  that  this  is  not  our  view  of  the 
subject  and  that  we  are  unjustly  suspected  of  holding  it, 
inasmuch  as  the  true  and  living  presence  of  the  body 
and  blood  of  Christ  in  the  Lord's  Supper  is  in  our 

1  Zwingli  had  emphasized  the  memorial  character  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
maintaining  that  the  meaning  of  the  words  of  institution  is :  "  This  signi- 
fies my  body."  It  is,  however,  an  error  to  suppose  that  according  to  his 
view,  "  the  elements  in  the  Lord's  Supper  are  mere  signs."  In  the  con- 
fession which  he  sent  to  Francis  I.  a  short  time  before  his  death,  he  wrote : 
"  We  believe  that  the  true  body  of  Christ  is  eaten  in  the  Communion  in  a 
sacramental  and  spiritual  manner  by  the  religious,  believing,  and  pious 
heart."  "  Calvin,  indeed,  emphasized  the  reality  of  the  spiritual  presence 
uf  Christ  at  the  Supper;  but  had  he  been  spared  to  see  the  time  of  Calvin, 
Zwingli  would,  without  doubt,  have  adopted  his  more  elaborate  definition, 
for  their  views  were  not  conflicting." — Dr.  Van  Home's  Life  of  Zwingli, 
p.  171. 


64  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

churches  preached,  taught,  and  believed.  That  you  may 
not  suppose  that  our  words  and  deeds  do  not  agree,  we 
would  inform  you  that  we  require  of  our  ministers  and 
theologians  to  offer  the  following  testimony  concerning 
the  Lord's  Supper,  namely: 

"'That  we  do  not  therein  receive  bread  and  wine  alone, 
as  holy,  divine  signs  and  seals  (as  the  Holy  Scriptures  as 
well  as  the  Augsburg  Confession  and  the  Apology  call 
them);  nor  that  we  receive  only  the  merits  of  Jesus 
Christ  alone,  nor  His  Divinity  alone,  but  the  Lord  Christ 
wholly  and  completely,  true  God  and  man,  His  real 
body  and  real  blood  which  was  broken  and  shed  for  us 
upon  the  cross — also  all  His  merits,  benefits,  heavenly 
treasures,  blessings,  and  eternal  life — truly,  without  all 
deception  and  not  in  mere  fancy,  but  substantially  re 
ipsa,  by  the  power  and  effect  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  all 
this  is  given  and  presented  to  us  by  the  Lord  himself, 
through  faith,  as  the  meat  and  drink  of  our  souls;  and 
also  that  we  thereby  have  complete  communion  with 
Christ,  becoming  true  members  of  His  blessed  body,  so 
that  He  lives  and  remains  in  us  and  we  in  Him  forever.'" 

It  might  seem  to  the  modern  reader  as  though  this 
strong  confession  ought  to  have  satisfied  Frederick's 
opponents  that  he  believed  in  the  doctrine  of  the  real 
presence,  but  it  was  far  from  having  this  effect.  "What 
is  it  after  all,"  they  inquired,  "but  a  Calvinistic  con- 
fession? Does  it  not  represent  the  humanity  of  Christ 
as  conveyed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  through  faith,  as  the 
meat  and  drink  of  our  souls?"  The  confession  was 
objectionable  to  the  extremists  because  it  did  not  ex- 
plicitly declare  that  Christ's  humanity  is  present  in  the 


THE   SECOND    HELVETIC    CONFESSION.  65 

sacrament  "  under  the  form  of  bread  and  wine,"  being 
thus  orally  received  by  unbelievers  as  well  as  believers. 
On  the  other  hand  there  was  a  more  moderate  Lutheran 
party  which  was  willing  to  accept  Frederick's  confession 
as  substantially  in  accordance  with  the  Augsburg  Con- 
fession, and  it  was  owing  in  great  measure  to  their  silent 
influence  and  support  that  the  Elector  was  able  to  sus- 
tain himself  during  these  dark  and  trying  hours. 

THE    SECOND    HELVETIC    CONFESSION. 

Immediately  after  the  publication  of  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism,  Olevianus  had  sent  a  copy  of  the  book  to 
Bullinger,  accompanied  by  a  letter  in  which  he  said: 
"If  there  is  any  good  in  this  book  we  owe  a  great  part 
of  it  to  you  and  to  other  noble  spirits  in  Switzerland." 
In  reply,  Bullinger  said:  "I  regard  this  as  the  best 
Catechism  that  has  ever  been  written.  May  God  crown 
it  with  his  blessing."  These  intimate  relations  between 
Switzerland  and  the  Palatinate  continued,  and  when 
Frederick  found  himself  in  trouble  he  wrote  to  Bullinger, 
requesting  him  to  prepare  a  full  Confession  of  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Reformed  Church.  This  Confession,  which 
was  published  by  Frederick  in  1566,  was  primarily  in- 
tended to  serve  as  a  defense  against  those  who  said  that 
the  Reformed  churches  were  at  variance  among  them- 
selves ;  but  it  actually  became  a  bond  which  united  t-hc 
church  of  the  Palatinate  with  those  of  Switzerland  and 
France.  In  this  way  Henry  Bullinger  was  not  only 
instrumental  in  uniting  the  followers  of  Calvin  with 


66  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

those  of  Zwingli,  but  succeeded  in  bringing  the  church 
of  Frederick  III.  into  the  same  communion. 

THE    DIET  OF  AUGSBURG. 

The  Emperor  Maximilian  II.,  who  had  ascended  the 
throne  in  1564,  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  ability. 
Though  a  Catholic,  he  was  more  liberal  than  any  of  his 
predecessors,  and  was  even  supposed  to  be  secretly  in- 
clined to  Protestantism.  He  had  addressed  a  friendly 
warning  to  the  Elector  Frederick  immediately  after  the 
publication  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  but  seemed 
disinclined  to  carry  matters  further.  The  importunity 
of  the  German  princes,  however,  finally  induced  him  to 
call  a  meeting  of  the  Diet,  and  Frederick  was  cited  to 
appear. 

This  citation  was  a  very  serious  matter.  It  was  well 
known  that  the  majority  of  the  princes  proposed  to  ex- 
clude the  elector  from  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of  Augs- 
burg, which  would  have  deprived  him  of  his  government, 
and  perhaps  even  have  cost  his  life.  His  brother,  Rich- 
ard of  Simmern,  warned  him  of  the  danger  of  attending 
the  Diet,  but  he  exclaimed :  "  I  believe  that  God  who  has 
brought  me  to  a  knowledge  of  His  Gospel  still  reigns, 
and  if  it  should  cost  my  blood,  I  would  regard  martyr- 
dom as  an  honor  for  which  I  could  not  sufficiently  thank 
Him  in  time  or  eternity." 

The  Diet  met  in  Augsburg  on  the  23d  of  March,  1566. 
The  emperor  and  empress  appeared  with  a  magnificent 
retinue,  and  were  welcomed  with  extraordinary  festivi- 


THE    DIET   OF   AUGSBURG.  6/ 

ties.  At  the  beginning  of  the  meeting  the  Protestant 
delegates  held  what  might  now  be  called  a  "  caucus,"  in 
which  they  determined  to  prepare  an  address  to  the  em- 
peror, demanding  greater  religious  liberty;  but  they  at 
the  same  time  resolved  not  to  allow  Frederick  to  sign 
the  petition  unless  he  should  first  satisfactorily  explain 
his  views  concerning  the  Lord's  Supper.  Several  princes 
even  insisted  that  he  must  sign  what  was  designed  to  be 
an  "iron-clad"  confession,  to  the  effect  that  "the  real 
body  and  blood  are  actually  present  in  the  sacrament 
under  the  form  of  bread  and  wine,  and  are  offered  and 
received  with  the  visible  elements ;  that  the  aforesaid  true 
body  and  blood  are  not  only  spiritually  but  corporeally 
presented  and  received,  so  that  through  the  communion 
of  His  flesh  and  blood  Christ  dwells  in  us  corporeally; 
and  also  that  Christ  is  not  only  in  us  spiritually  through 
His  love,  but  also  by  natural  communion." 1 

A  few  days  after  these  proceedings  Frederick  arrived, 
and  it  soon  became  evident  that  his  presence  was  pro- 
ducing a  reaction.  Those  who  had  never  before  seen 
him  were  impressed  by  his  evident  sincerity,  and  this 
favorable  impression  was  heightened  by  several  eloquent 
sermons  preached  by  his  chaplain. 

The  elector  quietly  but  firmly  declined  to  sign  any 
new  confessions.  His  danger  was,  however,  by  no 
means  at  an  end;  and  at  one  time  it  was  currently 
reported  in  Heidelberg  that  he  had  been  arrested  and 
executed. 

1  Heppe's  "History  of  German  Protestantism,'1  2,  p.  I2O. 


68  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

On  the  1 4th  of  May  the  emperor  proposed  a  decree 
commanding  Frederick  to  abstain  from  introducing  "  Cal- 
vinistic  novelties,"  and  requiring  him  to  restore  to  the 
Roman  church  the  property  of  certain  convents  which 
had  been  alienated  by  the  civil  power.  During  the  dis- 
cussion of  this  measure  the  elector  was  required  to  ab- 
sent himself  from  the  assembly;  but  after  its  adoption  he 
re-entered  the  hall  followed  by  his  favorite  son  John 
Casimir,  whom  he  called  his  "spiritual  armor-bearer," 
the  latter  carrying  the  Bible  and  the  Augsburg  Confes- 
sion. On  this  occasion  he  offered  his  memorable  defense 
of  which  the  following  is  a  brief  extract :  "  I  am  still  of 
the  opinion  that  in  matters  of  faith  I  have  but  a  single 
master,  who  is  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords ;  there- 
fore, I  am  not  troubled  about  my  head,  but  about  my 
soul,  which  is  in  the  hands  of  God  who  created  it  ... 
I  have  never  read  Calvin's  works,  and  therefore  do  not 
know  whether  you  are  right  in  calling  me  a  Calvinist, 
but  I  confess  that  my  catechism  contains  the  substance 
of  my  faith ;  it  is  so  fortified  with  proofs  from  the  Scrip- 
tures that  it  cannot  be  refuted.  Finally,  I  am  comforted 
by  the  assurance  that  my  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ  has  given  unto  me  and  all  believers  this  blessed 
promise,  that  all  we  lose  here  for  His  name's  sake  will 
be  restored  to  us  a  hundred  fold  in  the  world  to  come." 

The  effect  of  the  elector's  defense  was  very  great 
At  its  conclusion  Augustus  of  Saxony  put  his  hand  on 
his  shoulder  and  said :  "  Fritz,  thou  art  more  pious  than 
the  whole  of  us!"  The  Margrave  of  Baden  also  said  to 


THE   AUGSBURG    CONFESSION.  69 

the  princes  at  the  close  of  the  session :  "  Why  trouble 
ye  the  elector?  He  has  more  piety  than  all  of  us  to- 
gether." When  the.  emperor  finally  inquired  whether 
Frederick  was  to  be  regarded  as  standing  under  the 
Augsburg  Confession  it  was  resolved  "  that  he  was  in  full 
accordance  with  the  confession  in  the  article  of  justifica- 
tion by  faith,  which  had  caused  the  schism  in  the  church, 
and  in  many  other  articles,  but  that  he  did  not  fully  ac- 
cept the  article  concerning  the  Lord's  Supper.  As, 
however,  he  had  indicated  his  willingness  to  yield  to 
proofs  taken  from  the  Word  of  God,  they  would  in  due 
time  seek  to  convince  him  of  his  error.  In  the  mean- 
time the  princes  had  no  desire  to  oppress  the  Elector  of 
the  Palatinate,  or  others,  in  Germany  or  in  foreign  lands, 
who  might  vary  from  the  confession  in  one  or  more 
articles,  and  thus  to  increase  the  sufferings  of  the  con- 
fessors of  Christ." 

This  action  of  the  Diet  had  been  unexpected.  Fred- 
erick returned  to  Heidelberg  and  was  received  with  great 
rejoicing,  and  was  now  permitted  to  proceed  unmolested 
in  his  work  of  reformation.  The  sacramental  contro- 
versy was,  however,  by  no  means  concluded.  In  the 
Lutheran  church,  especially,  it  continued  to  rage  with 
great  violence,  until  finally  a  number  of  German  princes 
followed  the  example  of  Frederick,  and  with  many  of 
their  people  formally  entered  the  Reformed  Church.1 

1  Amonp  the  most  important  of  the  German  cities  and  principalities 
which  passed  over  from  the  Lutheran  to  the  Reformed  Church,  after  the 
Palatinate  had  led  the  way,  we  may  mention  Nassau  (1578)^  Bremen 


7O  HISTORIC  MANUAL. 

FREDERICK'S  LATER  YEARS. 

The  Elector  of  the  Palatinate  was  now  known  as  Fred- 
erick the  Pious,  and  well  deserved  •  his  honorable  title. 
In  his  efforts  for  the  upbuilding  of  the  church  he  was  in- 
defatigable. The  university  of  Heidelberg  flourished  as 
it  had  never  done  before,  and  was  withal  prevaded  by  an 
earnest  Christian  spirit.  The  oppressed  and  persecuted 
Protestants  of  foreign  countries  found  in  him  a  friend  and 
protector.  After  the  dreadful  massacre  of  St.  Bartholo- 
mew he  sent  an  army,  under  the  command  of  his  fav- 
orite son  John  Casimir,  to  aid  the  persecuted  Hugue- 
nots. Another  of  his  sons  lost  his  life  in  battle  in  the 
Netherlands,  but  the  father  consoled  himself  with  the 
thought  that  he  had  died  on  the  field  of  honor  in  defense 
of  God  and  of  religion.  Gradually  the  Elector  came  to 
occupy  a  sort  of  paternal  position  with  reference  to  the 
whole  Reformed  Church,  and  his  influence  was  felt  in  dis- 
tant lands.  Even  Queen  Elizabeth  consulted  him  with 
reference  to  the  affairs  of  the  Church  of  England. 

During  Frederick's  later  years  his  chief  source  of  sor- 
row was  the  continued  alienation  of  his  eldest  son,  Louis, 

(1581,)  Anhalt  (1597),  Baden  (1599),  Lippe  (1600),  and  part  of  Hesse 
(1604).  The  Elector  of  Brandenburg,  John  Sigismund,  from  whom  the 
present  imperial  family  of  Germany  is  descended,  accepted  the  Reformed 
faith  in  1613.  Most  of  the  people,  however,  remained  Lutheran,  and  the 
Elector  of  Brandenburg  was  the  first  to  proclaim  the  religious  liberty  of  all 
his  subjects.  It  was  on  this  decree  that  King  Frederick  II,  more  than  a 
century  later,  based  the  curious  proclamation  in  which  he  expressed  his 
desire  that  in  Prussia  "  every  one  should  go  to  Heaven  after  his  own 
fashion.'' 


FREDERICK'S  DEATH.  71 

who  was  still  violent  in  his  opposition  to  the  Reformed 
Church,  and  even  refused  to  see  his  father  on  his  death- 
bed, though  the  latter  earnestly  requested  it.  The  last 
days  of  the  pious  Elector  were,  however,  exceedingly  edi- 
fying. To  the  friends  that  gathered  around  his  dying 
bed  he  said :  "  I  have  lived  long  enough  for  you  and  the. 
Church  ;  I  am  now  called  to  a  better  life.  I  have  done 
for  the  Church  all  I  could,  but  my  power  was  limited. 
God,  who  can  do  all  things,  and  who  cared  for  His 
Church  before  I  was  born,  liveth  and  reigneth  in  Heaven 
still,  and  will  not  forsake  us ;  nor  will  He  suffer  those 
prayers  and  tears  which  I  have  offered  up  in  this  cham- 
ber upon  my  knees,  for  my  successor  and  the  Church,  to 
be  without  a  blessing."  Then  addressing  the  court- 
preacher  he  said :  "  The  Lord  may  call  me  hence 
whenever  it  pleaseth  Him;  my  conscience  is  at  peace 
with  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whom  I  have  served  with  all 
my  heart.  I  have  been  permitted  to  see  that  in  all  my 
churches  and  schools  the  people  have  been  led  away 
from  men  and  directed  to  Christ  alone."  And  again  he 
exclaimed :  "  I  have  been  detained  here  long  enough 
through  the  prayers  of  God's  people ;  it  is  now  time  that 
I  should  be  gathered  into  the  true  rest  with  my  Saviour." 
Then  he  requested  his  pastor  to  read  the  3ist  Psalm  and 
the  I /th  chapter  of  John,  and  after  praying  audibly  and 
fervently  he  gently  fell  asleep  in  the  Lord.  His  death 
occured  on  the  26th  of  October,  1576. 

Louis  VI.  assumed  the  government  immediately  after 
his  father's    death.     He    dismissed    the    Reformed    pro- 


72  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

fessors,  and  introduced  a  strictly  Lutheran  church- 
order.  Pastors  were  required  to  subscribe  to  the  new 
order  or  to  leave  the  country.  "Many  of  these,"  says 
Von  Alpen,  "  submitted  for  the  sake  of  their  wives 
and  children,"  but  others  found  a  refuge  at  the  court  of 
Prince  John  Casimir,  who  ruled  over  several  provinces. 
This  state  of  affairs  continued  for  about  seven  years,  when 
Louis  suddenly  died,  leaving  an  infant  son,  in  whose 
name  John  Casimir  assumed  the  government.  The  young 
prince  was  brought  up  in  the  Reformed  Church,  and  so 
it  happened  that  the  latter  was  for  many  years  the  estab- 
lished church  in  the  Palatinate.  The  lines  between  the 
confessions  had  now  been  drawn,  and  the  Reformed  and 
Lutheran  churches  existed  side  by  side.  The  struggle 
was  not  yet  over,  but  there  was  a  season  of  rest. 

The  books  in  explanation  and  in  defense  of  the  Hei- 
delberg Catechism,  written  during  this  period  and  sub- 
sequently, are  almost  innumerable.  The  most  celebrated 
of  these  is  the  commentary  bearing  the  name  of  Ursi- 
nus,  first  printed  at  Heidelberg  in  1591,  of  which  an  Eng- 
lish version  has  been  published  in  this  country  by  the 
Rev.  Dr.  G.  W.  Williard. 

The  defense  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  was  every- 
where conducted  with  self-sacrificing  devotion.  Though 
often  attacked,  it  was  so  thoroughly  grounded  in  the 
Word  of  God  that  it  could  never  be  refuted.  The  Re- 
formed Church  everywhere  still  regards  it  as  a  precious 
legacy,  and  it  will,  we  trust,  be  venerated  to  the  latest 
generation. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Martyrs —  The  Waldenses — Spain  and  Portugal —  The 
Huguenots —  The  Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew. 

THE  Reformed  Church  has  often  been  called  "the 
church  of  the  martyrs."  It  certainly  deserves  this  honor- 
able title,  for  no  other  denomination  of  Christians  has 
had  so  many  members  who  have  sealed  their  faith  with 
their  blood.  Its  history  abounds  with  examples  of  the 
most  sublime  heroism;  and  its  continued  existence,  not- 
withstanding all  the  persecutions  which  it  has  endured, 
is  an  evident  proof  of  its  divine  mission. 

The  trials  of  the  Reformed  Church  were,  in  great  de- 
gree, owing  to  its  geographical  location.  In  Switzer- 
land it  was,  almost  from  the  beginning,  strong  enough 
to  defend  itself;  and  in  Germany,  though  always  in  the 
minority,  it  was  to  some  extent  protected  by  the  terms 
of  the  treaty  of  Augsburg;  but  its  members  were  widely 
scattered  through  countries  in  which  Roman  Catholics 
held  the  reins  of  power,  and  they  were  therefore  pecu- 
liarly exposed  to  the  wrath  of  their  enemies.  In  Italy, 
Spain,  France,  Holland,  and  other  countries,  the  martyrs 
of  the  Reformed  Church  may  perhaps  be  numbered  by 
hundreds  of  thousands. 

The  names  of  most  of  these  patient  sufferers  are  now 
forgotten.  They  disappeared  in  the  dungeons  of  the 

(73) 


74  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Inquisition,  and  their  friends  hardly  ventured  to  ask  a 
question  concerning  their  fate.  It  is  enough  for  us  to 
know  that  they  were  faithful  unto  death,  and  that  their 
Saviour  knows  them  all. 

THE   WALDENSES. 

The  Swiss  Reformers  had  at  an  early  date  crossed 
the  Alps  for  the  purpose  of  preaching  the  Gospel  in 
Italy.  Here  they  were  warmly  seconded  by  a  com- 
munity of  peasants,  who,  in  the  secluded  valleys  of  Pied- 
mont, had  for  ages  cherished  a  faith  very  similar  to  their 
own.  These  people  were  known  as  the  Waldenses,  a 
name  which  simply  signifies  "  the  people  of  the  valleys." 
Some  writers,  it  is  true,  assert  that  they  were  named 
after  a  certain  Peter  Waldus,  a  merchant  of  Lyons,  in 
the  twelfth  century;  but  others  hold  that  Waldus  was  so 
called  because  he  belonged  to  the  sect,  which  is  believed 
to  have  had  a  much  more  ancient  origin. 

From  the  valleys  of  Piedmont  the  Waldenses  had 
gradually  spread  to  the  valley  of  the  Rhone,  and  thence 
northward  along  the  Rhine  as  far  as  Holland.  Some 
of  them  even  settled  in  Poland  and  Bohemia,  while 
others  sailed  to  England,  where  they  principally  engaged 
in  commerce.  Everywhere  they  were  compelled  to  keep 
their  religion  a  secret,  so  that  their  church  organization 
came  to  resemble  an  extensive  secret  society.  They 
had  signs  and  passwords,  and  placed  emblems  on  their 
houses  which  were  recognized  only  by  the  initiated.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  it  is  said,  there 


THE   WALDENSES.  75 

were  so  many  Waldenses  in  Switzerland  and  Germany 
that  a  member  of  the  society  could  leave  Italy  on 
foot  and  find  lodging  every  night  with  a  brother  of 
the  faith  until  he  reached  Holland,  whence  he  might  sail 
to  England  and  be  once  more  hospitably  received. 

Though  there  were  certain  minor  differences,  espe- 
cially in  church-government,  the  members  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  from  the  beginning  acknowledged  the 
Waldenses  as  brethren.  The  latter,  in  1532,  held  a 
synod  at  Angrogna,  at  which  they  formally  accepted  the 
doctrines  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  thus  thought  to 
consummate  the  union  of  the  two  churches.  Several 
prominent  Waldenses  were,  however,  absent  from  the 
synod;  and  these,  with  their  brethren  in  Bohemia  and 
Poland,  subsequently  protested  against  this  action. 
Though  the  majority  of  the  Waldenses,  therefore,  at  this 
time  formally  united  with  the  Reformed  Church,  a 
minority  have  kept  up  their  church  organization  to  the 
present  day. 

At  this  synod  the  Waldenses  resolved  to  bear  public 
testimony  to  the  idolatry  of  the  mass.  This  action 
roused  the  Roman  Catholics  to  take  active  measures  for 
the  suppression  of  Protestantism.  The  Inquisition  was 
put  to  work,  and  every  one  who  was  suspected  of  being 
disloyal  to  Rome  was  committed  to  its  tender  mercies. 
Soldiers  penetrated  into  the  valleys  of  the  Waldenses, 
killing  every  one  whom  they  could  find,  and  it  was  only 
by  hiding  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  Alps  that  a  remnant 
was  enabled  to  escape. 


76  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

There  were,  at  this  time,  thousands  of  people  in  Italy 
who  sympathized  with  the  Reformation,  and  Reformed 
churches  had  actually  been  established  in  many  of  the 
Italian  cities ;  but  now  all  who  desired  to  save  their  lives 
were  compelled  to  leave  their  native  land.  Refugees  be- 
came so  numerous  in  Switzerland  that  they  were  able  to 
found  Italian  churches,  and  some  of  their  earliest  pastors 
— such  as  Peter  Martyr  and  Bernard  Ochino — were 
universally  recognized  as  among  the  most  prominent 
ministers  in  the  Reformed  Church.  In  the  border  re- 
gion, now  included  in  the  canton  of  Ticino,  the  Roman- 
ists were,  however,  in  the  majority,  and  the  refugees  be- 
came the  helpless  victims  of  their  wrath.  No  language 
can  adequately  describe  the  horrors  of  that  persecution. 
The  persecutors  were  not  satisfied  to  take  the  lives  of 
their  victims,  but  first  subjected  them  to  unheard-of 
tortures.  Finally,  at  a  time  of  comparative  quiet,  the 
Catholics  of  a  part  of  the  Canton  des  Grisons  suddenly 
rose  and  massacred  almost  the  entire  Protestant  popula- 
tion. Altogether,  the  violent  measures  of  the  papacy 
were  so  successful  that  of  all  the  Italian  congregations 
founded  in  the  days  of  the  Reformation,  only  two  are 
still  in  existence.  These  are  situated  in  two  little  valleys 
in  the  Canton  des  Grisons,  called  Bregell  and  Puschlav, 
where  a  few  people  of  Italian  blood  still  listen  to  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  in  the  language  of  their  ances- 
tors. The  Waldenses  have,  however,  recently  become 
much  more  active  and  prosperous,  and  many  Protestant 
missions  have  been  founded  by  them  in  Italy. 


SPAIN    AND    PORTUGAL.  77 

SPAIN   AND    PORTUGAL. 

In  spite  of  the  dreadful  Inquisition,  Protestantism  was 
quietly  making  its  way  through  all  classes  of  Spanish 
society,  when  Philip  II.  returned  from  the  Netherlands 
to  assume  the  government  after  the  death  of  his  father. 
Philip  was  a  merciless  fanatic.  Under  his  auspices  the 
agents  of  the  Inquisition  sought  everywhere  for  victims, 
and  even  the  archbishop  of  Toledo,  the  foremost  eccle- 
siastic of  Spain,  was  imprisoned  on  suspicion  of  favoring 
the  new  doctrines.  Spaniards  are  proverbially  fond  of 
spectacular  display,  as  is  evident  from  their  bull-fights, 
and  Philip  gratified  this  taste  by  burning  Protestants. 
He  was  always  present  on  such  occasions,  and  when 
one  of  the  victims  asked  him  from  the  stake,  how  he 
could  bear  to  see  the  sufferings  of  his  innocent  people, 
he  replied :  "  I  would  gladly  carry  the  wood  to  burn  my 
own  son,  if  he  were  as  great  a  heretic  as  thou."  In  his 
insane  wrath  Philip  even  contemplated  burning  the  re- 
mains of  his  father,  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  because  he 
had  not  succeeded  in  crushing  Protestantism  at  its  be- 
ginning, but  was  finally  persuaded  that  such  an  act 
would  recoil  upon  its  perpetrator.  The  confessor  of  the 
late  Emperor,  the  celebrated  Carranza,  was,  however, 
imprisoned  for  seven  years. 

At  this  time  Protestantism  had  to  encounter  a  new 
enemy  in  the  rapid  rise  of  the  order  of  Jesuits.  This 
powerful  body  was  founded  in  Spain,  in  1534,  by  Igna- 
tius Loyola,  a  young  nobleman,  and  six  companions,  of 
whom  the  most  eminent  were  Francis  Xavier,  and 


"S  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

James  Laynez.  In  addition  to  the  usual  monastic  vows, 
they  promised  unconditional  obedience  to  the  pope,  and 
were  directed  to  labor  for  the  suppression  of  Protestant- 
ism. They  are  even  now  the  most  powerful  secret  order 
in  the  world. 

In  the  face  of  such  opposition,  Spanish  Protestantism 
could  make  no  progress.  It  was,  in  fact,  stamped  out 
by  the  heel  of  tyranny,  though  at  the  same  time  the  best 
part  of  the  nation  was  ruthlessly  sacrificed.  At  that 
time  Spain,  which  had  previously  been  the  foremost 
nation  in  Europe,  began  to  decline,  and  finally  lost  all 
political  and  ecclesiastical  significance. 

In  Portugal,  the  course  of  affairs  was  very  similar. 
Though  there  was  a  manifest  disposition  on  the  part  of 
the  most  intelligent  portion  of  the  people  to  accept  Pro- 
testantism, which  had  found  decided  advocates  among 
the  professors  of  the  university  of  Coimbra,  it  was 
speedily  suppressed  by  the  strong  hand  of  the  govern- 
ment. From  that  day,  Portugal  has  remained  a  thor- 
oughly Roman  Catholic  country. 

THE   HUGUENOTS. 

As  we  have  already  seen,  the  Protestants  of  France 
were  regarded  as  the  followers  of  John  Calvin,  and  be- 
longed to  the  Reformed  branch  of  the  Reformation.  It 
is  impossible  to  decide  with  certainty  at  what  time  and 
for  what  reason  they  came  to  be  called  Huguenots. 
Webster  says  the  name  was  probably  derived  from  a 
French  conspirator,  named  Hugo,  or  Hugon,  but  no 


THE    HUGUENOTS.  79 

reason  can  be  given  why  the  name  of  such  an  obscure 
individual  should  have  been  applied  to  the  whole  body 
of  French  Protestants.  It  seems  much  more  likely  that 
the  name  Huguenot  was  formed  by  a  mispronunciation 
of  the  word  "  Eidgenossen,"  or  Confederates,  a  term 
which  the  Swiss  Protestants  applied  to  themselves. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  English  ears,  the  French 
would  be  likely  to  pronounce  "  Eidgenos  "  very  much 
as  they  pronounce  "  Huguenot." 

The  French  Protestants,  it  will  be  remembered,  were 
cruelly  persecuted  during  the  reigns  of  Francis  I.  and 
Henry  II.,  but  they  had  rapidly  increased  in  numbers 
until  extensive  districts,  especially  in  Southern  France, 
were  almost  exclusively  occupied  by  them.  The  old 
nobility,  were  generally  on  the  Huguenot  side,  and  in 
their  fortified  castles  could  defy  the  power  of  the  King. 
The  city  of  Rochelle  was  thoroughly  Protestant,  and 
now  ranked  as  one  of  the.  three  most  important  cities  of 
the  Reformed  Church.1  The  French  court  was  therefore 
desirous  of  crushing  Protestantism,  not  only  for  the 
purpose  of  aiding  the  Catholic  Church,  but  to  increase 
the  King's  power  by  humbling  the  great  Huguenot 
nobles. 

After  the  death  of  Henry  II.,  the  throne  of  France 

1  These  three  cities  were  Geneva,  in  Switzerland,  Wesel,  in  Germany, 
and  Rochelle,  in  France.  They  were  not  the  largest  Reformed  cities, 
but  the  most  influential.  The  Catholics  had  a  rough  saying  which  tock 
the  rounds  of  Europe : 

"  Geneva,  Wesel,  and  Rochelle 
Are  the  devil's  second  hell." 


SO  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

was  held  for  a  few  years  by  each  of  his  three  sons, 
Francis  II.,  Charles  IX.,  and  Henry  III.,  but  during  all 
this  period,  the  supreme  power  was  held  by  their 
mother,  the  notorious  Catherine  de  Medici.  Unless 
she  is  greatly  caluminated  she  was  one  of  the  most 
wicked  women  that  ever  lived,  and  it  is  believed  that 
two,  at  least,  of  her  royal  sons,  were  murdered  at  her 
instigation,  because  they  sought  to  free  themselves  from 
her  domination.  Closely  allied  with  her  was  the  great 
Catholic  house  of  Guise,  and  a  crowd  of  Italian  retainers 
whom  she  had  advanced  to  high  positions,  and  who  were 
enthusiastically  devoted  to  the  papal  cause. 

We  have  no  room  to  describe  the  so-called  religious 
wars  which  occupied  this  period.  They  culminated  in 
the  fearful  act  of  treachery  which  is  known  as 

THE    MASSACRE   OF   ST.    BARTHOLOMEW, 

or  "The  Bloody  Wedding."  Queen  Catherine  had 
succeeded  in  arranging  a  marriage  between  her  daugh- 
ter, the  beautiful  but  worthless  Margaret  of  Valois,  and 
the  Huguenot  leader,  Henry  of  Navarre.  The  Protest- 
ants were  thoroughly  deceived  by  the  prospect  of  ap- 
proaching peace,  and  most  of  their  leaders  came  to  Paris 
to  attend  the  wedding,  which  was  celebrated  with  great 
pomp.  Four  days  afterwards,  an  unsuccessful  attempt 
was  made  to  assassinate  Coligni,  Grand  Admiral  of 
France,  who  was  the  most  distinguished  of  the  Hugue- 
nots. Many  historians  believe  that  this  attempted  murder 
was  instigated  by  Catharine  de  Medici,  who  had  hoped  to 


MASSACRE   OF   ST.  BARTHOLOMEW.  Si 

throw  the  blame  on  the  Catholic  leader,  the  Duke  of 
Guise,  whom  she  desired  to  destroy;  but  finding  herself  , 
implicated,  she  succeeded  in  persuading  the  King  that 
the  Protestants  were  about  to  retaliate  by  murdering  him, 
and  wrung  from  him  a  reluctant  consent  to  a  general 
massacre.  Catholics  were  warned  to  illuminate  their 
houses,  and  not  to  appear  on  the  streets  without  wearing 
the  badge  of  the  cross.  The  signal  of  the  slaughter  was 
the  ringing  of  the  great  bell  of  the  church  of  St.  Germain 
1'Auxerrois,  and  as  soon  as  it  began  to  sound,  the  Catho- 
lics fell  upon  the  Protestants  and  murdered  them  by  the 
thousands. 

This  dreadful  massacre  began  on  St.  Bartholomew's 
day,  the  24th  of  August,  1572,  and  continued  for  several 
days.  It  extended  to  the  provinces,  and  was  no  doubt 
horrible  beyond  description.  During  the  prevailing  ex- 
citement, enemies  murdered  each  other  without  regard  to 
religion.  Innumerable  stories  of  hair-breadth  escapes  are 
related,  which  vividly  depict  the  horror  of  the  times.  In 
some  places,  however,  the  governors  refused  to  execute 
the  orders  of  the  King;  and  the  Roman  Catholic  bishop 
of  Lisieux  even  opened  his  palace  to  the  Huguenots,  and 
protected  them  from  the  violence  of  the  mob. 

Historical  authorities  differ  so  widely  that  it  seems  im- 
possible to  determine  whether  or  not  the  massacre  of 
Bartholomew  was  premeditated.  It  is  now,  we  believe, 
the  prevailing  opinion  that  it  was  hastily  determined  upon 
after  the  attempted  murder  of  Coligni,  and  that  it  was  due 
almost  exclusively  to  the  machinations'  of  Catharine  de 


82  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Medici.  To  what  extent  the  court  of  Rome  was  involved 
in  it,  is  also  an  open  question;  but  it  is  certain  that  when 
the  pope  neard  of  it,  he  ordered  a  Te  Deum  to  be  sung, 
and  had  a  medal  struck  with  the  inscription  "  Hugonot- 
tornm  Stragcs"  that  is  "  the  massacre  of  the  Huguenots." 
Subsequently  the  Church  of  Rome  saw  fit  to  disavow  all 
connection  with  the  massacre,  insisting  that  it  was  entirely 
political  in  its  character;  but  the  reproach  has  never  been 
removed. 

The  effect  of  the  massacre  was  very  great.  Queen 
Elizabeth  made  her  court  wear  mourning,  and  received 
the  French  ambassador  in  a  hall  draped  with  black. 
Henry  of  Navarre  was  imprisoned  in  Paris  for  some 
time,  but  finally  escaped  and  put  himself  at  the  head  of 
the  Protestant  party.  He  had  but  one-tenth  as  many 
soldiers  as  the  Catholics,  but  soon  proved  himself  a 
great  general;  and  after  long  wars,  with  varying  suc- 
cess, he  finally  utterly  defeated  his  enemies  at  the  battle 
of  Ivry,  in  1590.  This  victory  caused  great  rejoicing 
among  the  Huguenots.  No  wonder  that  Macaulay  rep- 
resents them  as  singing : 

"  Now  glory  to  the  Lord  of  hosts,  from  whom  all  glories  are ! 
And  glory  to  our  sovereign  liege,  King  Henry  of  Navarre ! 
Now  let  there  be  the  merry  sound  of  music  and  the  dance, 
Through  thy  cornfields  green  and  sunny  vales,  O  pleasant  land  of  France  ! 
And  thou  Rochelle,  our  own  Rochelle,  fair  city  of  the  waters, 
Again  let  rapture  light  the  eyes  of  all  thy  mourning  daughters. 
As  thou  wert  constant  in  our  ills,  be  joyous  in  our  joy, 
For  cold,  and  stiff,  and  still,  are  they  who  wrought  thy  walls  annoy. 
Hurrah !  hurrah !   A  single  field  has  turned  the  chance  of  war ! 
Hurrah!  Hurrah!  For  Ivry  and  Henry  of  Navarre!" 


EDICT    OF   NANTES.  83 

By  the  death  of  Henry  III.,  Henry  of  Navarre  had 
now  become  the  heir  to  the  crown  of  France,  but  it  was 
not  to  be  expected  that  the  Catholic  majority  would 
permanently  submit  to  be  governed  by  a  Protestant 
King.  Influenced  by  his  ambition  he  yielded  to  tempta- 
tion and  renounced  Protestantism.  It  is  certain  that  a,s 
King  of  France,  he  was  able  to  protect  the  Huguenots  as 
he  had  never  done  before,  but  his  act  cannot  be  defended 
on  grounds  of  mere  expediency.  He  reigned  under  the 
title  of  Henry  IV.,  and  became  one  of  the  greatest  of 
French  monarchs.  On  the  I5th  of  April,  1598,  he 
issued  the  celebrated  Edict  of  Nantes,  which  secured  the 
Protestants  in  the  possession  of  their  civil  rights.1  The 
strict  Catholics,  however,  did  not  trust  him,  and  in  1610 
he  was  assassinated  by  a  fanatic  named  Ravaillac.  His 
death  was  regarded  as  a  national  calamity,  but  the  effect 
of  his  victories  remained,  and  for  nearly  a  hundred  years 
the  Protestants  of  France  enjoyed  comparative  security. 

1  Cardinal  Richelieu  inaugurated  the.  policy  which,  after  his  death  in 
1642,  was  continued  by  his  successor  Mazarin,  according  to  which  Pro- 
testantism was  discouraged  by  the  government  as  a  discordant  element  in 
the  State.  On  the  22d  of  October,  1685,  Louis  XIV.,  at  the  instigation 
of  the  Jesuits,  revoked  the  Edict  of  Nantes,  and  during  the  subsequent 
persecutions  at  least  500,000  Huguenots  fled  to  foreign  countries.  Many 
of  these  refugees  found  their  way  to  America,  and  some  of  them  became 
prominent  among  the  founders  of  the  earliest  congregations  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  the  United  States. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Holland— The  First  Martyrs — Spanish   Tyranny — "  The  League 
of  the  Beggars" — The  Revolt  of  the  Netherlands. 

The  country  called  Hollander  originally  Hollow-land, 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  in  the  world.  By  the  un- 
remitting toil  of  centuries,  fertile  provinces  have  been 
rescued  from  the  sea,  and  wealthy  cities  now  stand  where 
once  the  waters  played.  Here  at  one  time  the  people,  in 
their  gigantic  conflict  for  the  preservation  of  the  Re- 
formed faith,  made  their  dykes  and  sluices  a  means  of  de- 
fense, and  thus  employed  their  ancient  enemy  as  an  ally 
against  the  new. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century  the  seventeen 
provinces,  known  by  the  collective  names  of  the  Nether- 
lands, Low  Countries,  or  Holland,  were  regarded  as  the 
most  precious  possessions  of  the  Spanish  crown.  They 
had  formerly  been  attached  to  Burgundy,  but  had  now  by 
inheritance  become  a  part  of  the  enormous  patrimony  of 
Charles  V.,  who  was  simultaneously  emperor  of  Germany 
and  king  of  Spain.  The  Dutch  provinces,  however, 
claimed  to  possess  certain  liberties  and  reserved  rights, 
which  the  emperor  generally  permitted  them  to  enjoy, 
and  on  the  whole,  Charles  was  more  popular  in  Holland 
than  in  any  other  part  of  his  dominions.  "  He  was  a 
native  of  the  country,  preferred  their  free  manners  to  the 

(84) 


THE    FIRST    MARTYRS.  8$ 

reserve  of  the  Spaniards,  conferred  office  on  natives,  and 
was  courteous  in  his  intercourse  with  his  subjects." 
The  first  serious  trouble  occurred  in  connection  with  his 
attempts  to  suppress  Protestantism.  He  was  not  of  a 
cruel  disposition,  but  was  thoroughly  devoted  to  the 
pope,  and  deemed  it  his  duty  to  labor  with  all  his  might 
for  the  extinction  of  what  he  regarded  as  a  pestilent 
heresy.  In  Germany  he  could  not  accomplish  this  on 
account  of  the  opposition  of  the  Protestant  princes;  but 
in  his  hereditary  dominions  he  was  free  to  act,  and 
here  he  issued  edicts  which  threatened  the  most  dread- 
ful punishment  to  all  who  refused  to  submit  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church.  These  edicts  were  unrelent- 
ingly executed,  and  multitudes  suffered  death.  In  many 
places,  however,  the  inquisitors  were  greatly  impeded 
by  local  laws  and  the  naturally  independent  character  of 
the  people. 

THE   FIRST    MARTYRS. 

On  the  3Oth  of  June,  1523,  two  young  men,  Henry 
Voes  and  John  Esch,  were  burned  for  their  Protestant 
faith,  in  the  great  square  of  the  city  of  Antwerp.  When 
they  stood  bound  at  the  stake  their  persecutors  cried: 
"  Be  converted,  or  you  will  be  lost  forever."  But  they 
replied :  "  We  will  die  as  good  Christians  for  the  faith 
of  the  Gospel."  When  the  flames  rose  around  them 
heavenly  joy  filled  their  hearts,  and  one  of  them  ex- 
claimed :  "  These  are  surely  beds  of  roses."  When 
death  came  nearer  they  cried  out:  "Lord  Jesus,  thou 


86  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

son  of  David,  have  mercy  upon  us!"  Then  they  alter- 
nately repeated  the  Apostles'  Creed.  When  the  flames 
had  completely  surrounded  them  they  began  to  sing  the 
Te  Dcum,  and  continued  to  sing  until  their  voices  were 
hushed  in  death. 

The  heroism  of  these  early  martyrs  produced  an  effect 
directly  contrary  to  that  which  was  anticipated  by  the 
persecutors.  It  was  an  age  which  admired,  above  all 
tilings,  self-sacrifice  and  patient  endurance;  and  those 
who  beheld  such  triumphant  death-scenes  were  sure  to 
be  attracted  to  the  faith  that  produced  them.  "  The 
blood  of  the  martyrs  was  the  seed  of  the  church." 

"THE  CHURCH  UNDER  THE  CROSS." 
Holland,  like  many  other  countries,  had  gradually  be- 
come prepared  for  the  doctrines  of  the  Reformation. 
Long  before  the  days  of  Luther  and  Calvin,  John  de 
Wesel,  sometimes  called  the  abbot  Rupert,  and  John 
Wessel,  otherwise  known  as  Gansevoort,  had  contested 
the  claims  of  the  Roman  hierarchy.  The  writings  of  the 
latter  were  republished  by  Luther,  in  order  to  show  that 
the  doctrines  of  the  Reformation  were  not  new.  Eras- 
mus and  Agricola,  distinguished  scholars  and  forerun- 
ners of  the  Reformation,  were  also  natives  of  the  Nether- 
lands. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  the  Reformation,  the  Pro- 
testant Church  of  Holland  was  known  as  "the  church 
under  the  cross."  There  was  no  formal  confession  of 
faith,  and  all  forms  of  doctrinal  opinion  were  represented. 


THE    NETHERLANDS.  O/ 

The  great  body  of  Protestants  was,  however,  from  the 
beginning  attached  to  the  Reformed  faith.  Gradually 
the  churches  were  organized  according  to  the  principles 
of  Calvin  and  De  Lasky,  and  in  this  way  received 
an  indelible  character.  The  doctrines  of  election  and 
predestination  were  consequently  more  prominent  in  the 
theological  systems  of  the  Dutch  divines  than  in  those 
of  the  Palatinate.  In  the  great  Arminian  controversy 
of  the  succeeding  century,  these  doctrines  were  still  more 
distinctly  intoned,  and  for  a  while  it  seemed  as  though 
the  Divine  Sovereignty  was  to  be  the  exclusive  object  of 
study.  The  German  churches  were  less  affected  by  these 
controversies,  and,  it  has  been  said,  "  did  not  thrive  well 
in  the  theological  atmosphere  of  Holland,"  but  it  would 
be  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  there  ever  was  a  lack  of 
fraternal  feeling  between  the  various  Reformed  Churches 
of  the  continent.  The  Belgic  confession,  adopted  in  1 568, 
was  specially  intended  for  the  Netherlands,  so  that  there 
was  no  occasion  for  its  formal  acceptance  by  the 
churches  of  Germany,  and  the  Heidelberg  Catechism 
became  the  common  standard  of  faith.  So  far  as  we 
know,  it  has  never  occurred  to  any  one  in  Europe  to 
regard  the  Dutch  and  German  Reformed  Churches  as 
different  denominations ;  and  though  the  two  American 
organizations  which  have  borne  these  names  still  sever- 
ally preserve  certain  national  and  theological  peculiari- 
ties, it  should  be  remembered  that  their  separation  was 
caused  by  local  circumstances  and  differences  of  lan- 
guage, and  not  by  theological  or  personal  disagreement. 


88  HISTORIC    MANOAL. 

SPANISH    TYRANNY. 

In  1555  Charles  V.  voluntarily  abdicated,  and  retired 
to  the  convent  of  Yuste  to  spend  his  declining  years.  It 
has  been  customary  to  represent  him  as  a  penitent,  weary 
of  the  world  and  desirous  of  atoning  for  his  sins  by  the 
mortification  of  the  flesh ;  but  the  recent  discovery  of 
cotemporary  documents  has  rendered  it  certain  that  his 
life  in  the  convent  by  no  means  resembled  that  of  an  an- 
chorite. On  his  abdication  the  Netherlands  came  under 
the  rule  of  his  son,  Philip  II.,  who  is  one  of  the  most  un- 
pleasant characters  in  modern  history.  Educated  exclu- 
sively by  Spanish  priests,  he  had  none  of  his  father's 
liking  for  the  Netherlands.  They  had  already  become 
a  great  commercial  rival  of  Spain,  and  it  is  not  unlikely 
that  even  on  this  account  he  would  have  been  glad  to 
see  them  humbled. 

When  Philip  assumed  the  government  of  the  Nether- 
lands, it  was  with  the  double  purpose  of  eradicating  Pro- 
testantism and  of  taking  away  the  civil  rights  of  the 
Dutch  people.  Far  from  being  discouraged  by  the  fail- 
ure of  the  violent  measures  adopted  by  his  father,  he 
resolved  to  prosecute  them  more  vigorously,  like  the 
foolish  king  who  said  to  the  Israelites  on  his  accession 
to  the  throne :  "  My  father  made  your  yoke  heavy,  and 
I  will  add  to  your  yoke ;  my  father  also  chastised  you 
with  whips,  but  I  will  chastise  you  with  scorpions" 
(l  Kings  xii.  14). 

At  first  Philip  confided  the  government  of  the  Low 
Countries  to  his  sister  Margaret  of  Parma,  but  as  her  dis- 


SPANISH    TYRANNY.  89 

position  proved  too  mild  for  his  purpose,  she  was  super- 
seded by  the  infamous  Ferdinand  of  Toledo,  Duke  of 
Alva.  This  man  appears  to  have  been  destitute  of  the 
ordinary  feelings  of  humanity,  and  was  for  this  reason  a 
suitable  instrument 'for  the  sanguinary  purposes  of  the 
king.  He  introduced  the  Inquisition,  and  death  was 
decreed  against  all  who  had  been  in  any  way  connected 
with  the  Protestants;  all  who  had  heard  a  sermon,  sung 
a  psalm,  or  furnished  lodging  to  an  heretical  preacher. 
It  was  his  boast  that  during  seven  years  he  had  given 
eighteen  thousand  Protestants  into  the  hands  of  the  exe- 
cutioner. One  hundred  thousand  houses  stood  empty 
whose  inmates  had  fled  to  other  countries.  The  Re- 
formed Church  was,  however,  actually  strengthened  by 
these  persecutions.  Religious  services  were  held  at 
obscure  places  in  the  open  country,  and  though  thous- 
ands attended  these  meetings,  it  was  but  rarely  that  the 
authorities  were  informed  in  time  to  prevent  them.  In 
1568,  the  year  of  most  violent  persecution,  the  ministers 
and  elders,  at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  secretly  crossed  the 
boundary  of  Germany  and  held  an  important  synod  in 
the  city  of  Wesel.  When  the  Inquisition  burned  its  vic- 
tims the  people  regarded  them  as  martyrs.  At  the  stake 
the  sufferers  began  to  sing,  and  the  multitude,  outside  of 
the  circle  of  Spanish  guards,  joined  with  them,  until  the 
whole  city  rang  with  the  inspiring  strains  of  the  second 
psalm : 

"  Hoe  rasen  so  die  Heydenen  te  hoop, 
End  die  volcken  betrachten  ydel  dinghen?" 


9O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

It  might  seem  as  though  the  persecutors  ought  to 
have  become  convinced  of  the  futility  of  their  undertak- 
ing, but  Philip  and  the  Duke  of  Alva  showed  no  signs 
of  weariness.  Philip  said  he  would  "  rather  be  a  king 
without  subjects  than  a  ruler  over  heretics."  Alva  was 
entirely  unmoved  by  the  suffering  around  him.  When 
his  only  son  died,  the  cardinal  of  Trent  attempted  to  com- 
fort him;  but  he  replied:  "  If  my  boy  had  been  the  only 
person  that  ever  died,  it  might  be  worth  while  to  speak 
words  of  consolation ;  but  death  is  such  a  common  acci- 
dent that  no  sensible  man  will  allow  himself  to  be 
troubled  by  it." 

"THE  LEAGUE  OF  THE  BEGGARS." 

The  southern  part  of  the  Netherlands — now  constitut- 
ing the  kingdom  of  Belgium — had  from  the  beginning 
remained  prevailingly  Roman  Catholic.  The  people  had, 
however,  no  sympathy  with  the  tyranny  of  the  Span- 
iards, and  some  of  the  leading  noblemen  joined  in  a  peti- 
tion for  religious  liberty.  Alva  took  his  revenge  by 
treacherously  arresting  and  executing  Counts  Egmont 
and  Horn.  This  exasperated  the  Catholic  provinces,  and 
for  a  while,  during  the  subsequent  revolt,  they  contended 
bravely  for  civil  liberty;  but  they  finally  submitted,  an  i 
remained  a  dependency  of  Spain  until  a  comparatively 
recent  period. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  presentation  of  the  famous  peti- 
tion, the  Count  of  Barlaimont  whispered  in  the  ear  of  the 
regent,  that  the  petitioners  were  "  nothing  but  a  crowd 


THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  NETHERLANDS.        9! 

of  beggars."  This  title,  first  given  in  derision,  they 
applied  to  themselves,  and  the  confederacy  was  subse- 
quently known  as  "  Les  Gueux,"  or  "  The  Beggars."  In 
Germany  the  name  was  corrupted  into  "  Guesen "  or 
"  Goesen,"  and  it  is  said  that  in  Juliers  the  term  is  still 
contemptuously  used  by  the  Roman  Catholics. 

The  earliest  naval  forces  of  the  Dutch  Republic  were 
known  as  the  "  beggars  of  the  seas,"  and  these  beggars 
succeeded  in  sweeping  the  rich  fleets  of  Spain  so  utterly 
from  the  ocean,  that  Spanish  commercial  supremacy  was 
destroyed  forever.  Their  first  important  success  occurred 
in  15/2,  when  William  Van  de  Mark,  with  a  fleet  of 
twenty-four  vessels,  took  possession  of  the  harbor  and 
town  of  Brill.  The  word  "brill  "in  Dutch,  as  in  Ger- 
man, signifies  "  spectacles,"  and  this  gave  rise  to  the  jeit 

de  mot: 

"  De  eerste  dach  van  April 
Verloor  Due  d'Alva  zynen  Brill." 

THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  NETHERLANDS. 

In  a  brief  sketch  like  the  present  it  is  impossible  to 
enter  into  particulars  concerning  this  gigantic  struggle. 
We  shall  be  glad  if  we  succeed  in  directing  some  of 
our  younger  readers  to  the  fascinating  works  of  Prescott 
and  Motley. 

The  conflict  continued,  with  varying  intensity,  from 
1568  to  1609,  and  witnessed  scenes  of  heroism  and  self- 
sacrifice  which  are  probably  unequalled  in  the  history  of 
the  world.  During  the  earlier  portion  of  the  revolt  the 
leading  spirit  and  commander  of  the  Dutch  armies  was 


92  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

William,  Prince  of  Orange.  He  was  born  at  Dillenburg, 
in  Germany,  in  1533,  and  as  he  was  the  eldest  son  of  the 
duke  of  Nassau-Dillenburg,  is  often  called  William  of 
Nassau.  His  principality  of  Orange  was  a  small  district 
which  had  originally  belonged  to  Burgundy,  but  was  not 
yet  swallowed  up  by  France,  though  almost  entirely  sur- 
rounded by  French  territory.  His  private  estates  in  the 
Netherlands,  however,  were  worth  far  more  than  his  lit- 
tle principality.  He  is  called  "the  silent,"  not  from  his 
taciturnity,  for  he  was  pleasant  and  talkative,  but  because 
he  showed  extraordinary  wisdom  in  keeping  his  own 
counsel. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  revolt  William  was  a  Catholic, 
but  he  had  joined  in  the  petition  of  the  nobles,  and 
would  have  been  executed  if  he  had  not  been  wise 
enough  to  keep  out  of  the  way  of  the  Duke  of  Alva. 
His  conversion  to  Protestantism  occurred  several  years 
later,  and  was,  we  think,  thoroughly  sincere.  He  hesi- 
tated long  before  accepting  the  leadership  of  the  revolted 
provinces,  but  subsequently  manifested  the  most  extra- 
ordinary courage  and  endurance.  After  he  became 
Stadtholder  of  Holland  he  called  on  England,  France, 
and  Germany,  for  assistance  in  the  coming  struggle, 
but  these  countries  afforded  little  aid  except  in  the  way 
of  money.  Indeed,  the  attempt  to  resist  the  immense 
power  of  Spain  appeared  utterly  hopeless,  and  the  Hol- 
landers at  first  did  not  expect  to  free  their  country  from 
the  yoke.  In  a  petition  addressed  to  the  king  they  said : 
"  Since  they  (the  duke  and  his  creatures)  take  pleasure 


THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  NETHERLANDS.        93 

in  our  death,  and  think  it  their  interest  to  be  our  mur- 
derers, we  will  much  rather  die  an  honorable  death  for 
the  liberties  and  welfare  of  our  dear  country  than  submit 
to  be  trampled  under  foot  by  insolent  foreigners  who 
have  always  hated  or  envied  us.  By  so  doing  we  shall  at 
least  transmit  to  our  posterity  this  fame  and  reputation, 
that  their  ancestors  scorned  to  be  slaves  to  a  Spanish 
Inquisition,  and  therefore  made  no  scruple  of  redeeming 
a  scandalous  life  by  an  honorable  death.  We  contend 
for  nothing  less  than  freedom  of  conscience,  our  wives 
and  children,  our  lives  and  fortunes.  We  do  not  desire 
to  be  discharged  from  our  allegiance  to  your  majesty, 
but  only  that  our  consciences  may  be  preserved  free  be- 
fore the  Lord  our  God,  that  we  may  be  permitted  to 
hear  His  holy  word,  and  walk  in  His  commandments, 
so  that  we  may  be  able  to  give  an  account  of  our  souls 
to  the  Supreme  Judge  at  the  last  day." 

Many  incidents  of  the  war  with  Spain  were  exceed- 
ingly romantic.  During  the  winter  of  15/2,  the  Dutch 
fleet  was  frozen  up  in  the  harbor  of  Amsterdam.  The 
Spanish  army  undertook  to  march  across  the  ice  to 
attack  it,  but  the  Dutch  soldiers  put  on  skates,  and 
hovered  around  the  enemy  "  like  flocks  of  birds,"  until 
they  succeeded  in  repulsing  them.  At  the  siege  of 
Haarlem  several  hundred  high-born  ladies  enrolled 
themselves  as  soldiers,  and  fought  like  men.  The  town 
was,  however,  finally  taken,  and  nearly 'three  thousand 
citizens  were  put  to  death. 

The  siege  of  Leyden  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 


94  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

wonderful  events  of  the  century.  The  garrison  was 
small,  but  the  citizens  joined  in  the  defense  with  the 
utmost  valor  and  constancy.  The  people  suffered  dread- 
fully from  famine,  but  when  at  last  some  of  them,  mad- 
dened with  hunger,  came  to  the  burgomaster,  Peter 
Vanderwerf,  and  demanded  that  he  should  give  them 
food  or  treat  for  the  surrender  of  the  city,  he  replied: 
"  I  have  made  an  oath,  which  by  the  help  of  God  I  will 
keep,  that  I  will  never  yield  to  the  Spaniard.  Bread,  as 
you  well  know,  I  have  none;  but  if  my  death  can  serve 
you,  slay  me,  cut  my  body  into  morsels  and  divide  it 
among  you." 

William  of  Orange  was  at  Delft  with  his  fleet,  but 
could  not  approach  without  breaking  the  dykes  that 
kept  out  the  sea,  and  thus  laying  the  whole  country 
under  water.  The  young  grain  was  in  the  fields,  but 
the  States  submitted  to  the  sacrifice,  and  the  dykes  were 
cut.  Anxiously  the  starving  citizens  of  Leyden  watched 
the  rising  of  the  flood  that  was  to  bear  them  deliverance. 
A  fleet  of  two  hundred  vessels  set  sail  from  Delft,  but 
twice  the  waters  were  driven  back  by  an  east  wind,  and 
the  ships  lay  helplessly  stranded.  Finally  a  northwest- 
ern gale  set  in  and  the  waters  of  the  German  ocean  came 
pouring  in  over  the  ruined  dykes.  The  Dutch  and 
Spanish  fleets  had  a  singular  midnight  conflict  amid  the 
boughs  of  orchards  and  the  chimneys  of  submerged 
houses.  William  was,  however,  finally  successful  in 
reaching  Leyden,  and  sailed  up  the  channel  distributing 
loaves  of  bread  to  the  famished  people  who  crowded 


THE  REVOLT  OF  THE  NETHERLANDS.        95 

along  the  banks.  As  soon  as  the  pangs  of  hunger  were 
relieved,  the  whole  population  hastened  to  the  principal 
church  to  return  thanks  for  their  great  deliverance.  The 
Prince  of  Orange,  desirous  of  establishing  some  perma- 
nent memorial  of  this  great  event  offered  the  people  of 
Leyden,  either  the  establishment  of  an  annual  fair,  which 
would  bring  them  commerce  from  all  parts  of  Holland, 
or  the  foundation  of  a  Reformed  University.  The  people 
chose  the  latter ;  and  the  Prince  was  so  well  pleased  with 
their  decision  that  he  not  only  founded  the  university,  but 
also  granted  them  the  fair. 

In  July,  1584,  William  of  Orange  was  assassinated  by 
an  emissary  of  the  king  of  Spain.  It  was  a  sad  day  for 
the  Reformed  people  of  Holland  when  their  leader  was 
thus  stricken  down  in  the  midst  of  his  glory.  His  son 
Maurice  was  but  seventeen  years  of  age,  but  the  people 
would  have  no  other  leader.  Their  confidence  was  not 
misplaced,  for  he  soon  proved  himself  a  brilliant  com- 
mander, who  successively  defeated  a  number  of  the  most 
celebrated  generals  of  the  age. 

The  political  independence  of  Holland  was  not  ac- 
knowledged by  Spain  until  1648.  Long  before  that  time 
the  conflict  was  practically  ended,  and  Holland  had  be- 
come the  foremost  naval  power  in  Europe.  The  conflict 
which  had  been  waged  against  such  fearful  odds  had 
been  decided  in  favor  of  civil  and  religious  liberty.  The 
blood  of  the  martyrs  had  not  been  shed  in  vain,  and 
Holland  became  a  refuge  for  the  distressed  and  perse- 
cuted of  all  nations.  The  Mennonites,  who  in  some  other 


96  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

countries  were  persecuted  with  fire  and  sword,  were 
tolerated  in  the  Netherlands,  and  there  became  a  wealthy 
and  influential  body.  The  "  Pilgrim  Fathers,"  who  in 
America  showed  themselves  so  intolerant  to  the  Baptists 
and  Quakers,  never  had  reason  to  complain  of  their  treat- 
ment during  the  twelve  years  they  had  spent  in  Amster- 
dam. 

When  the  persecuted  exiles  of  the  Palatinate  fled  to 
Holland,  they  were  received  as  brethren  of  a  common 
faith,  and  all  classes  united  in  relieving  their  necessities. 
Even  after  they  had  emigrated  to  America,  they  were  fol- 
lowed by  the  generosity  and  fostering  care  of  the  Dutch 
churches,  and  many  of  our  oldest  congregations  were  in 
great  measure  founded  and  established  by  their  benefi- 
cence. We  should  never  forget  the  debt  of  gratitude 
which  we  owe  to  the  Reformed  Church  of  Holland. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

England — Cranmer   and   Bullinger — Peter    Martyr— John    De 
Lasky — Martin  Bucer. 

It  is  not  our  intention  to  give  an  account  of  the  Eng- 
lish Reformation.  There  are,  however,  some  facts  in 
connection  with  that  great  movement  which,  though  fre- 
quently ignored,  are  sufficiently  important  to  claim  our 
attention.  Though  the  Reformed  Church  of  England 
differs  widely  from  other  Protestant  bodies,  especially  in 
external  organization,  it  is  easy  to  show  that  at  the  be- 
ginning it  stood  in  intimate  relations  with  the  churches 
of  the  Continent.  Indeed,  in  its  earlier  history,  it  was 
generally  recognized  as  one  of  the  branches  of  the 
Reformed  Church.  "  The  Anglican,  that  is  the  English 

O  O 

Church,"  says  Stilling,  "is  only  different  from  the  rest 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  this,  that  it  has  an  episcopal 
form  of  government.  Are  the  Swedish  and  Danish 
Churches  not  Lutheran  because  they  have  bishops  ? 
Does  the  garment  make  the  man  P"1 

At  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the  author- 
ity of  the  pope  appeared  to  be  as  firmly  established  in 
England  as  in  any  other  country  in  Europe.2  Henry 

1 "  Wahrheit  in  Liebe,"  p.  228. 

1  At  an  earlier  date  there  had  been  earnest  protests  against  the  preten- 
sions of  the  Church  of  Rome,  but  these  had  not  succeeded  in  diminishing 
7  (97) 


98  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

VIII.,  who  became  king  in  1509,  was  an  enthusiastic 
defender  of  the  Papacy;  and  when  Luther,  in  1521,  pub- 
lished his  book  on  "  The  Babylonish  Captivity,"  Henry 
condescended  to  write  a  very  violent  reply,  which  he 
called,  "The  Defence  of  Seven  Sacraments."  In  return 
for  this  service  the  pope  gave  Henry  the  title  of 
"  Defender  of  the  Faith,"  but  Luther  read  him  such  a 
lecture  as  had  never  been  heard  by  a  crowned  head 
before.  Afterwards,  when  Henry  quarrelled  with  the 
pope,  Luther  was  willing  to  become  reconciled,  but  the 
king  rejected  his  advances. 

The  circumstances  which  occasioned  the  alienation  of 
Henry  from-  the  pope  are  well  known,  and  need  not  be 
related  in  detail.  It  is  a  scandalous  history,  beginning 
with  his  divorce  from  Queen  Katharine  and  his  marriage 
with  Anne  Boleyn,  and  continuing  through  all  his 
domestic  relations.  In  15  34  the  Church  of  England  was, 
by  Act  of  Parliament,  declared  independent  of  Rome,  and 
Henry  was  acknowledged  as  the  head  of  the  Church;  but 
to  the  end  of  his  life  the  king  maintained  the  Roman 
faith,  while  he  remorselessly  persecuted  all,  whether 
Catholics  or  Protestants,  who  refused  to  acknowledge  his 
supreme  authority  in  spiritual  as  well  as  temporal  mat- 
ters. It  is  wrong,  therefore,  to  regard  Henry  as  having 

its  power.  John  Wycliffe  (1324-1384)  was  the  most  eminent  of  the 
English  "  Reformers  before  the  Reformation."  His  disciples,  who  were 
termed  "Lollards,"  were  mercilessly  persecuted.  The  five-hundredth 
anniversary  of  his  death  has  recently  been  appropriately  commemorated  in 
England  and  America. 


CRANMER    AND    BULLINGER.  99 

introduced  the  Reformation  into  England,  but  it  is  true 
that  his  alienation  from  Rome  rendered  the  Reformation 
possible.  » 

While  the  king  occupied  this  schismatic  position,  Pro- 
testantism was  quietly  advancing  throughout  the  king- 
dom. His  third  wife,  Jane  Seymour,  was  at  heart  a  Pro- 
testant, and  did  all  in  her  power  to  advance  the  cause. 
Thomas  Cranmer,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  had  been 
converted  to  Protestantism  in  Germany,  and  was  privately 
married  to  a  German  lady,  a  niece  of  the  celebrated  Osian- 
der.  It  was  not,  however,  until  after  the  death  of  Henry 
that  Cranmer  was  able  to  take  active  measures  for  the 
organization  of  the  Protestant  Church  of  England. 

CRANMER   AND    BULLINGER. 

In  1536,  just  after  the  king  of  England's  marriage  to 
Jane  Seymour,  Cranmer  was  introduced  to  Henry  Bui- 
linger  by  Prof.  Simon  Grynaeus,  of  Strasburg.  In  August 
of  the  same  year  Cranmer  sent  to  Zurich  three  young 
Englishmen,  John  Butler,  William  Woodruff,  and  Nich- 
olas Partridge,  for  the  purpose  of  studying  theology  and 
becoming  acquainted  with  the  Swiss  churches.  They 
remained  more  than  a  year,  and  on  their  return  to 
England  were  accompanied  by  Rudolph  Gualter,  who 
studied  for  some  time  at  Oxford.  Gualter  was  after- 
wards married  to  Zwingli's  daughter  Regula,  and  became 
the  third  antistes  or  chief-pastor  of  the  church  of 
Zurich. 

From  this  time  the  relations  of  Cranmer  and  Bullinger 


IOO  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

were  very  intimate.  The  works  of  the  latter  were  trans- 
lated into  English,  and  a  letter  from  Bishop  John  Hooper 
is  still  extant,  in  which  he  declares  that  he  had  been 
greatly  profited  by  reading  them.  On  the  death  of 
Henry  VIII.,  in  1547,  the  succession  devolved  on  his 
son,  Edward  VI.,  who  was  but  ten  years  of  age.  The 
government  was,  however,  really  in  the  hands  of  the 
king's  uncle,  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  and  a  council  of 
state  of  which  Cranmer  was  a  member.  Every  effort 
was  now  made  to  organize  the  Church  of  England  on  a 
Protestant  basis.  The  king  was  a  precocious  boy,  and 
soon  took  a  profound  interest  in  the  movement.  In 
1550  he  sent  Christopher  Mont  to  Zurich,  with  a  letter 
to  Bullinger,  in  which  he  desired  a  closer  connection  be- 
tween the  churches  of  England  and  Switzerland.  Dur- 
ing this  period  Bullinger  corresponded  with  Warwick, 
Dorset,  and  other  English  statesmen,  and  constantly 
counselled  moderation  and  mildness.  He  did  not  object 
to  the  Episcopal  form  of  government  as  a  matter  of  ex- 
pediency, but  advised  that  the  services  should  be  "  clean 
and  simple,  and  without  pomp."  When  Hooper  was,  in 
1550,  appointed  bishop  of  Gloucester,  he  objected  to 
wearing  the  robes,  but  Bullinger  advised  him  to  accom- 
modate himself  in  such  minor  matters  to  the  policy  of 
the  Government. 

The  organization  of  the  Church  of  England,  in  the 
reign  of  Edward  VI.,  was  to  some  extent  of  the  nature  of 
a  compromise.  There  were  two  parties  which  it  was 
deemed  absolutely  important  to  reconcile.  One  of  these 


CRANMER   AND    BULLINGER.  IOI 

held  the  position  of  Henry  VIII.;  they  desired  to  be  sep- 
arated from  Rome,  but  insisted  that  every  peculiarity  of 
the  ancient  church  should  be  scrupulously  preserved. 
The  other  was  thoroughly  Protestant,  and  would  gladly 
have  assimilated  the  Church  of  England  to  the  Reformed 
Churches  of  the  continent.  Neither  of  these  parties  was 
quite  satisfied  with  the  result  of  the  compromise;  but 
the  influence  of  the  former  party  was  most  felt  in  gov- 
ernment and  worship,  and  that  of  the  latter  in  doctrine, 
as  expressed  in  the  confessions  of  the  Church.  Bui- 
linger  expressed  his  fears  that  the  two  parties  would 
never  become  thoroughly  united,  and  we  need  not  say 
that  his  anticipations  have  been  fully  realized. 

When  Queen  Mary  ascended  the  throne,  in  1553,  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church  was  re-established.  Nearly 
three  hundred  leading  Protestants  were  burned  at  the 
stake,  and  thousands  of  others  had  to  flee  for  their  lives. 
From  the  stake  Bishop  Hooper  commended  his  wife  and 
child  to  the  care  of  Bullinger,  and  Lady  Jane  Grey  took 
off  her  gloves  on  the  scaffold,  and  requested  them  to  be 
sent  to  the  Swiss  preacher  as  a  token  of  her  affection. 
At  this  time  Zurich  was  crowded  with  English  refugees, 
and  the  Swiss  were  put  to  great  straits  in  entertaining 
them.  After  the  accession  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  in  1558, 
the  refugees  returned  to  England,  and  subsequently 
Bishops  Parkhurst,  Jewell,  and  Horn  sent  gifts  of  silver 
plate  in  recognition  of  the  kindness  shown  them  by  the 
Swiss.  A  silver  goblet  is  still  in  existence,  bearing  a 
Latin  inscription  to  the  following  effect:  "The  Church 


IO2  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

of  Zurich  received  the  exiles  of  England  during  the 
reign  of  Mary.  Elizabeth  acknowledges  this  with 
thanks,  and  reverently  presents  this  goblet  to  Bullinger." 

PETER    MARTYR. 

According  to  all  accounts  the  Church  of  England  was, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Reformation,  in  a  deplorable  con- 
dition. Bucer  says  there  were  hardly  ten  priests  in  the 
country  who  attempted  to  preach.  Cranmer,  therefore, 
invited  a  number  of  Reformed  theologians  to  come  to 
England  to  assist  him  in  his  work.  The  most  prominent 
of  these  was  Peter  Martyr  (Vermigli),  an  Italian  by  birth, 
who  had  been  a  professor  at  Zurich  and  Strasburg.  He 
became  Professor  of  Theology  at  Oxford,  where  he 
labored  for  some  years  in  the  face  of  the  bitter  opposi- 
tion. He  was  very  active  in  the  work  of  revising  the 
Book  of  Common  Prayer.  On  the  accession  of  Queen 
Mary  he  returned  to  Strasburg,  and  thence  to  Zurich, 
where  he  died  in  1562. 

JOHN    DE    LASKY. 

This  distinguished  leader  of  the  Reformed  Church  was 
a  Polish  nobleman,  and  a  nephew  of  the  Archbishop  of 
Gnesen.  His  scholarship  was  remarkable,  and  Erasmus 
calls  him  "a  soul  without  a  stain."  Though  he  had 
early  become  converted  to  Protestantism,  he  lingered 
long  'before  he  finally  separated  from  the  Established 
Church;  but  when,  in  1536,  the  king  of  Poland  insisted 
that  he  should  become  a  Roman  Catholic  bishop,  he 
made  a  public  profession  of  the  Reformed  faith,  and  left 


MARTIN    BUCER.  1 03 

his  native  country.  He  was  the  leading  spirit  in  the  Re- 
formed Churches  of  Northern  Europe.  To  him,  more 
than  to  any  single  individual,  the  Reformed  Churches 
of  Poland  and  Bohemia  owe  their  existence,  and  his  in- 
fluence was  hardly  less  extensive  in  the  Netherlands  and 
the  Rhine  provinces  of  Germany.  In  1550  he  went 
to  England  at  the  invitation  of  the  king,  to  become  the 
superintendent  of  a  number  of  churches  which  had  been 
founded  in  London  by  foreign  refugees.  He  was  inclined 
to  extreme  simplicity  of  worship,  and  therefore  did  not 
agree  very  well  with  Cranmer,  but  his  influence  in  Eng- 
land was  very  extensive.  While  in  London  he  published 
a  catechism  which,  says  Bartels,  was  one  of  the  "ances- 
tors" of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism.  The  liturgies  of  the 
Palatinate  and  the  Netherlands  were  also  in  great  part 
derived  from  him.  On  the  accession  of  Queen  Mary, 
De  Lasky  left  England  with  a  colony  of  several  hundred 
persons,  who,  after  many  trials,  found  a  refuge  in  Ger- 
many. He  died  in  1560. 

MARTIN    BUCER. 

In  1549  this  celebrated  reformer  was  called  to  Eng- 
land to  become  Professor  of  Theology  at  Cambridge. 
Cranmer  regarded  him  as  peculiarly  qualified  to  assist 
him  in  his  work,  and  in  this  he  was  not  mistaken.  The 
two  men  had  much  in  common;  both  were  eminently 
qualified  to  serve  as  mediators  between  conflicting 
parties,  though  Bucer  was  more  firm  and  courageous 
than  the  English  prelate.  Bucer  had  recently  been  en- 


IO4  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

gaged  in  an  undertaking  which  had  specially  prepared 
him  for  the  work  which  he  was  expected  to  perform  in 
England.  Herman  V.,  Archbishop  of  Cologne,  had,  in 
1541,  undertaken  to  introduce  the  Reformation  into  his 
diocese  without  making  greater  changes  in  the  govern- 
ment and  ritual  of  the  church  than  were  absolutely 
necessary.  With  this  intention  he  secured  the  assistance 
of  Melanchthon,  and  especially  of  Bucer,  who  was  thus 
led  to  the  study  of  questions  of  ritual  and  government, 
which  were  of  great  importance  in  his  subsequent  work. 
The  movement  at  Cologne  was  not  successful,  and  the 
good  archbishop  was  forced  to  resign  his  office.  On 
account  of  his  connection  with  this  enterprise,  Bucer 
became  especially  obnoxious  to  the  emperor,  and  was, 
therefore,  the  more  ready  to  accept  Cranmer's  invitation. 
In  England  he  continued  his  literary  labors,  and  in  con- 
nection with  Peter  Martyr  was  especially  employed  in 
the  work  of  revising  the  English  Liturgy.  The  forms 
hitherto  in  use  had  been  closely  modeled  after,  the 
Roman  Mass,  and  it  is  said  to  have  been  at  Bucer's  sug- 
gestion that  auricular  confession,  prayers  for  the  dead, 
exorcism,  anointing  with  oil,  and  the  authorized  use  of 
bright-colored  robes,  were  removed  from  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer. 

With  all  the  honors  that  were  shown  him,  Bucer  was 
not  happy  in  England.  He  spoke  but  little  English,  and 
his  wife  was  entirely  ignorant  of  that  language.  His 
intercourse  was  therefore  limited  to  the  learned,  who 
spoke  Latin,  and  to  the  German  and  French  refugees. 


MARTIN    BUCER.  10$ 

The  climate  and  mode  of  living  did  not  agree  with  him, 
and  his  health  rapidly  declined.  He  died  the  28th  of 
February,  1551,  aged  61  years. 

We  have  had  room  to  refer  to  a  few  only  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Germany  and  Switzer- 
land who  were  prominent  in  the  organization  of  the 
Church  of  England.  It  would  have  been  possible  to 
mention  others,  such  as  Ochino,  Tremellius,  and  Fagius. 
For  the  Church  of  England  we  have  the  most  pro- 
found respect,  but  in  these  latter  days  we  think  we 
observe  a  tendency  in  some  of  its  members  to  ignore 
their  obligations  to  the  churches  of  the  continent.  Such 
persons  we  would  beg  to  refer  to  the  official  letter, 
quoted  by  Pestalozzi,  and  still  preserved  in  Zurich,  in 
which  the  Swiss  churches  were,  in  1547,  informed  that 
the  Church  of  England  had  adopted  the  Reformed  doc- 
trine of  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  should  also  be  remem- 
bered that,  as  late  as  1618,  an  English  delegation  was 
sent,  by  the  authority  of  King  James  I.,  to  the  Reformed 
Synod  of  Dordrecht  in  Holland,1  and  that  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  of  England  was  there  recognized  as 
one  of  the  Reformed  churches. 

1The  English  delegation  to  the  Synod  of  Dordrecht  consisted  of  George 
Carleton,  Bishop  of  Llandaft ;  Joseph  Hall,  Dean  of  Worcester ;  Samuel 
Ward,  Archdeacon  of  Taunton ;  and  John  Davenant,  Professor  of  Theol- 
ogy at  Cambridge. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Scotland — Before  the  Reformation —  The  Great  Reformer — Maty, 
Queen  of  Scots — The  Conclusion  of  the  Work. 

In  the  public  square  in  front  of  the  Parliament  House 
in  Edinburgh,  there  is  a  stone  in  the  pavement  bearing 
the  initials  "J.  K."  There  was  once  a  church-yard  in 
that  place,  and  the  inscribed  stone  is  supposed  to  mark 
the  grave  of  John  Knox,  who  beyond  all  other  men 
deserves  to  be  called  the  founder  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Scotland.  Yet  Knox  was  a  disciple  of  John 
Calvin,  and  had  so  completely  copied  his  master  that  he 
has  been  called  "another  Calvin;"  while  the  church 
which  he  founded  became  more  thoroughly  "  Calvinistic" 
than  the  Reformed  Churches  of  Geneva,  France,  or 
Holland.  "  The  Church  of  Scotland,"  says  Stahelin,  the 
most  recent  biographer  of  the  great  reformer,  "  must  be 
recognized  as  the  '  Calvinistic'  church,  in  the  fullest  sense 
of  the  term.  Calvin's  doctrines  and  church  government 
were  there  accepted  in  the  minutest  particulars.  We  find 
there  even  his  spirit — his  sternness,  his  logical  tenden- 
cies, his  ideas'of  theocracy  and  its  corollary,  the  conse- 
crated congregation.  It  might  almost  be  said,  that  his 
personal  character  was  reproduced  in  Scotland,  so  that  al- 
most every  pious  Scotch  Christian  is  another  Calvin, 

.  only  different  from  the  original   in  so  far  as   he  is   influ- 

(106) 


BEFORE   THE    REFORMATION.  IO/ 

enced  by  times  and  circumstances.  All  this  is,  however, 
owing  rather  to  John  Knox  than  to  the  direct  influence 
of  Calvin."  The  Reformed  Church  of  the  continent, 
it  will  be  remembered,  was  derived  from  three  sources — 
Zurich,  Geneva,  and  the  Palatinate.  The  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Scotland,  on  the  other  hand,  derived  its  doc- 
trine and  government  from  Geneva  alone,  and  thus  pre- 
served many  Calvinistic  peculiarities,  which,  on  the  con- 
tinent, disappeared  with  the  union  of  the  three  original 
elements.  The  Church  of  Scotland  was  always  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  Reformed  Churches,  and  yet  it  was 
felt  to  be,  in  a  special  sense,  the  church  of  Calvin. 

BEFORE  THE  REFORMATION. 

The  Scotch  people  are  at  present  so  sensible  and 
thrifty,  that  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  before  the  Refor- 
mation they  were  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  turbulent 
races  in  Europe.  The  country  was  rent  by  intestine 
feuds,  which  frequently  resulted  in  civil  war.  The 
people  were  miserable  in  the  extreme,  for  the  country, 
though  so  frequently  glorified  by  poets  and  writers  of 
romance,  is  really  barren.  In  the  midst  of  general  desti- 
tution the  Church,  however,  appeared  to  be  prosperous. 
It  had  enjoyed  the  lavish  patronage  of  kings,  who  looked 
to  it  for  moral  support  in  their  constant  conflicts  with 
turbulent  nobles.  As  a  close  corporation,  constantly 
seeking  to  increase  its  possessions,  and  protected  in  their 
enjoyment  by  the  superstition  of  the  people,  it  seemed  as 
though  the  whole  kingdom  must  soon  become  ecclesias- 


IO8  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

tical  property.  Unfortunately,  the  Church  did  not  em- 
ploy its  .grand  opportunities  for  the  advantage  of  the 
people.  Its  enormous  wealth  was  spent  in  the  erection 
of  magnificent  monasteries,  while  the  schools  were  sadly 
neglected.  Even  at  the  University  of  St.  Andrew's,  it  is 
said  neither  Greek  nor  Hebrew  was  taught,  and  a  few 
young  men  who  were  ambitious  of  securing  a  thorough 
education  were  obliged  to  seek  it  in  foreign  countries. 
The  parish  priests  generally  knew  nothing  but  a  little 
Latin,  and  were  therefore  theologically  unprepared  for  the 
coming  conflict.  They  were,  however,  eager  to  suppress 
all  opposition  to  their  authority,  and  during  the  Middle 
Ages  showed  themselves  zealous  persecutors  of  the  Cul- 
dees,  who  appear  to  have  been  adherents  of  an  earlier 
and  simpler  form  of  Christianity.  On  the  first  appear- 
ance of  the  Reformed  doctrines,  the  magnates  of  the 
church  were  unanimously  in  favor  of  their  violent  sup- 
pression; but  as  usual  persecution  failed  to  accomplish 
its  evil  purpose.  One  of  the  earliest  of  the  Scotch 
martyrs  was  Patrick  Hamilton,  a  near  relative  of  the 
royal  family,  who  had  studied  in  Germany,  and  had 
accepted  the  doctrines  of  Luther.  He  was  burned  at  the 
stake  in  1532.  This  cruel  act  not  only  shocked  the 
people,  but  roused  the  nobility  to  a  sense  of  their  danger, 
when  one  of  their  own  number  could  be  thus  barbar- 
ously executed  for  his  theological  opinions.  The  Scotch 
nobles,  it  must  be  remembered,  stood  in  a  sort  of  patriar- 
chal relation  to  the  people.  They  were  at  the  head  of 
clans,  all  the  members  of  which  bore  the  same  family 


THE   GREAT    REFORMER.  ICX) 

name  with  their  chief,  and  regarded  themselves  as  of  the 
same  blood.  There  was,  therefore,  a  community  of  inter- 
est between  the  nobles  and  the  people,  which  existed  no- 
where else  in  Europe.  Gradually  a  chasm  appeared,  be- 
tween the  Church  and  royal  family  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  nobles,  with  the  great  body  of  the  people,  on  the 
other.  For  some  years  the  church  continued  to  rule 
with  a  heavy  hand,  but  it  cannot  have  been  difficult  to 
to  foresee  the  result  of  the  coming  conflict. 

THE   GREAT    REFORMER. 

John  Knox  was  born  in  1505,  but  his  birthplace  is  un- 
certain. He  went  to  school  at  Haddington  and  St. 
Andrew's,  but,  as  he  himself  says,  the  schools  were  so 
bad  that  he  had  to  get  his  real  education  elsewhere.  It 
is  evident,  however,  that  he  was  regarded  as  a  promising 
scholar,  for  he  was  hurried  into  the  priesthood  before  he 
had  attained  the  legal  age.  Like  many  others  of  the 
Reformers,  he  was  led  to  the  Gospel  by  studying  the 
writings  of  St.  Augustine.  In  1530  the  scales  fell  from 
his  eyes,  but  it  was  not  till  1542  that  he  made  a  public 
profession  of  his  faith.  His  violent  denunciations  of  the 
papacy  now  made  him  peculiarly  obnoxious  to  the  Catho- 
lics, and  when  a  French  fleet  came  to  assist  the  regent, 
he  was  taken  prisoner  and  carried  away  to  France.  Here 
he  was  for  nineteen  months  a  galley-slave,  loaded  with 
chains  and  exposed  to  every  manner  of  indignity.  On 
his  release  he  went  to  England,  where  he  was  for  some 
time  a  chaplain  of  King  Edward  VI.,  but  declined  to  be 


I  IO  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

made  a  bishop.  When  Mary  became  queen  he  fled  to 
Geneva,  where,  in  1554,  he  for  the  first  time  met  John 
Calvin.  Knox  was  delighted  with  the  city  and  with  the 
great  preacher  who  was  its  leading  spirit.  "In  other 
localities,"  he  wrote,  "  I  confess  that  Christ  is  truly 
preached,  but  nowhere  else  have  I  found  religion  and 
manners  so  truly  reformed."  Though  nearly  fifty  years 
of  age,  Knox  became  a  student  in  Calvin's  school,  and 
with  great  humility  studied  the  ancient  languages  in  the 
company  of  boys  who  were  not  yet  out  of  their  teens. 
In  the  meantime  he  preached  to  a  little  congregation  of 
English  refugees,  who  with  difficulty  provided  him  with 
the  means  of  subsistence.  Several  times  he  paid  short 
visits  to  Scotland,  but  each  time  returned  to  Geneva, 
saying  that  the  time  had  not  yet  come.  In  1559,  how- 
ever, he  exclaimed,  "Now  Scotland  is  ripe!"  Returning 

to  his  native  land  he  became  the  leader  of  the  Protest- 

t 

ants,  and  in  one  year  the  cause  was  practically  gained. 
In  1560  Parliament  declared  the  Roman  system  abro- 
gated, and  in  the  same  year  formally  adopted  the  Scotch 
Confession. 

MARY,   QUEEN   OF   SCOTS. 

The  tragic  fate  of  Mary  Stuart  has  rendered  her  a 
favorite  character  with  poets  and  novelists,  and  the  ques- 
tion of  her  guilt  or  innocence  of  the  crimes  charged 
against  her  is  still  debated,  but  seems  no  nearer  solution 
than  it  was  three  hundred  years  ago.  It  will,  however, 
be  confessed  by  her  stoutest  advocates  that  her  conduct 


MARY,    QUEEN    OF   SCOTS.  I  I  I 

was,  to  say  the  least,  exceedingly  imprudent.  When  she 
came  to  Scotland,  in  1561,  as  the  widow  of  a  French 
king,  for  the  purpose  of  assuming  the  government  of  her 
kingdom,  her  grace  and  beauty  charmed  all  classes.  She 
promised  toleration,  but  it  soon  appeared  that  she  would 
employ  every  means  in  her  power  to  reestablish  the 
ancient  ecclesiastical  system.  Knox  was  the  special 
object  of  her  aversion,  and  on  several  occasions  she 
tried  to  have  him  condemned,  under  various  pretenses ; 
but  he  defended  himself  in  her  presence  with  such  energy 
and  eloquence  that  she  was  melted  to  tears.  He  was  so 
popular  that  all  her  efforts  were  of  no  avail,  and  it  be- 
came evident  that  he  possessed  more  real  power  than 
royalty  itself.  For  some  time  Mary's  reign  was  fairly 
prosperous;  but  she  drew  upon  herself  the  bitter  enmity 
of  Queen  Elizabeth  by  claiming  to  be  the  rightful  heir  t<5 
the  crown  of  England.  Then,  against  the  advice  of  her 
best  friends,  she  married  her  weak  and  wicked  cousin, 
Lord  Henry  Darnley.  Because  she  would  not  confer 
royal  power  upon  her  husband,  he  treated  her  scandal- 
ously, and  in  company  with  some  of  his  boon  compan- 
ions murdered  her  Italian  secretary,  David  Rizzio,  in  the 
queen's  presence.  A  year  afterwards  the  house  in  which 
Darnley  was  lying  sick  was  blown  up  with  gunpowder. 
The  guilt  of  the  queen  in  thus  securing  the  murder  of 
her  husband  is  not  clear,  but  it  is  certain  that  she  im- 
mediately showed  great  favor  to  Lord  Bothwell,  who  was 
universally  regarded  as  the  murderer,  and  three  months 
later  married  him.  It  is  said  she  did  this  under  compul- 


112  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

sion,  but  we  have  not  room  for  all  the  unsavory  details. 
The  people  were  disgusted,  as  well  they  might  be,  and 
the  natural  result  was  civil  war.  The  queen's  party  was 
defeated,  and  she  very  foolishly  fled  to  England,  to  place 
herself  under  the  protection  of  her  bitterest  enemy,  Eliz- 
abeth. There  she  was  imprisoned,  or  at  least  kept  un- 
der surveillance,  for  nearly  eighteen  years.  In  1587  she 
was  executed,  but  it  is  still  an  open  question  whether 
the  death  warrant  was  actually  signed  by  the  queen  of 
England.  It  has  been  plausibly  urged  that  the  English 
ministers  of  state  were  afraid  of  the  vengeance  of  Mary, 
in  case  she  should  become  queen  of  England  by  the 
death  of  Elizabeth ;  and  that  they  therefore  forged  the 
signature  of  the  latter  to  the  death  warrant — an  act 
which  Elizabeth  did  not  venture  to  repudiate  in  conse- 
quence of  the  state  of  public  feeling  in  England.  How- 
ever guilty  Mary  may  have  been,  it  is  certain  that  no 
English  court  had  the  right  to  try  a/id  condemn  the 
queen  of  another  country. 

THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  WORK. 

After  the  flight  of  Queen  Mary  there  was  in  Scotland 
a  period  of  confusion  and  violence.  Under  the  regent 
Morton  an  effort  was  made  to  establish  a  diocesan  epis- 
copate, but  the  effort  proved  a  failure,  and  only  intensi- 
fied the  Scottish  hatred  for  every  thing  that  savored  of 
prelacy.  Until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1572,  Knox 
remained  the  most  influential  man  in  the  Church  of  Scot- 
land, and  before  he  passed  away  he  had  succeeded  in 


THE   CONCLUSION   OF   THE   WORK.  I  1 3 

permanently  moulding  it  to  his  ideal.  The  churches 
were  destitute  of  ornament,  and  kneeling  in  worship 
was  forbidden.  Prayers  were  not  allowed  at  the  burial  of 
the  dead,  but  the  Scriptures  were  explained  daily  in  the 
churches.  Holidays  were  abrogated,  but  the  Christian  * 
Sabbath  was  observed  with  a  degree  of  strictness  that 
had  been  before  unknown.  There  was  a  Directory  of 
Public  Worship,  but  it  was  concerned  rather  with  the 
matter  than  the  form  of  the  service.  The  people  were 
thoroughly  indoctrinated,  and  took  a  profound  interest 
in  everything  that  concerned  the  church.  Stern  and 
strict  the  Scottish  church  may  have  appeared  to  for- 
eigners, but  there  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  glorious 
examples  of  earnest  piety  which  it  produced. 

The  frequent  attempts  of  English  monarchs,  since  the 
union,  to  introduce  the  Episcopdl  form  of  government, 
have  but  served  to  intensify  the  peculiarities  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland.  On  the  continent,  for  instance,  the 
government  of  the  church  was  always  regarded  as  a 
matter  of  minor  importance;  but  in  Scotland  it  became 
practically  a  matter  of  faith.  In  the  reign  of  Charles  I., 
those  dissatisfied  with  prelacy  in  Scotland  and  England 
united  in  subscribing  to  the  "  Solemn  League  and  Coven- 
ant:" and  in  1647  the  General  Assembly  of  Scotland 
adopted  the  Westminster  Confession,  which  is  still  its 
authorized  standard  of  faith. 

The  Church  of  Scotland  is  at  present  divided  into  three 
great  divisions:  the  Established  Church,  the  Free 
Church,  and  the  United  Presbyterians.  Whatever  may 


114  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

have  been  the  original  differences  of  these  bodies  they 
appear  to  a  stranger  to  be  very  much  alike,  and  hopes 
are  entertained  that  they  may  be  finally  reunited.  There 
are  also,  as  in  America,  several  minor  bodies,  which  re- 
'gard  themselves  as  called  to  offer  a  special  "  testimony." 
From  Scotland  the  Presbyterian  Church  has  extended 
to  Ireland,  America,  and  Australia.  In  fact,  in  almost 
every  region  in  which  the  English  language  is  spoken, 
the  Presbyterian  Church  is  a  prosperous  body,  and  every- 
where it  is  actively  engaged  in  extending  the  kingdom  of 
our  blessed  Lord. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Women  of  the  Reformed  Church  :  Anna  Reinhard;  Idelette  De 
Bures;  Jeanne  D ' Albret;  Charlotte  De  Bourbon-,  Catharine 
Belgica  of  Hanau;  Gertrude  von  Bentheim;  Louisa  Henrietta 
of  Brandenburg. 

The  Reformation  has  frequently  been  represented  as 
the  exclusive  work  of  men  in  exalted  station.  Roman 
Catholic  theologians  have  been  fond  of  depicting  it  as  a 
system  rudely  imposed  by  the  nobility,  envious  of  the 
wealth  of  the  church,  and  ignorantly  accepted  by  the 
people,  almost  without  a  single  sympathetic  emotion. 
The  shallowness  of  such  a  view  is  shown  by  the  enthu- 
siasm and  devotion  of  multitudes  of  women  who,  without 
taking  a  prominent  part  in  public  affairs,  proved  them- 
selves ready  to  suffer  and  die  for  the  cause  of  the  Gospel. 
In  the  early  history  of  the  Reformed  Church  we  read  of 
the  devotion  of  the  women  of  Geneva,  and  of  the  heroism 
of  the  women  of  Holland ;  and  find  that  in  the  most  try- 
ing times  the  greatest  heroes  of  the  faith  were  encouraged 
by  the  self-sacrificing  devotion  of  the  women  of  their 
households;  but  it  is  only  in  exceptional  cases  that  we  can 
become  minutely  familiar  with  the  lives  of  those  who  by 
their  silent  ministrations  did  so  much  for  the  church. 
Fortunate  circumstances  have  preserved  the  domestic  life 
of  Luther,  but  we  know  next  to  nothing  concerning  that 

("5) 


Il6  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

of  the  other  Reformers.  Even  such  obscurity  may, 
however,  have  its  lessons,  and  we  propose,  therefore, 
to  say  a  few  words  concerning  the  wives  of  several 
of  the  men  who  were  most  prominent  in  the  early  history 
of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  then  to  give  a  few  exam- 
ples of  ladies  of  exalted  station  who  chose  the  shame  of 
Christ  in  preference  to  the  glory  of  the  world. 

ANNA    REINHARD. 

The  life  of  the  consort  of  Zwingli  included  an  unusual 
portion  of  affliction.  Anna  Reinhard  had  been  a  beauti- 
ful girl  of  humble  station,  who  had  at  an  early  age  mar- 
ried a  young  nobleman,  John  Meyer  von  Knonau.  The 
proud  family  of  the  bridegroom  was  bitterly  opposed  to 
the  union,  and  he  was  forced  to  seek  military  service  in 
foreign  lands.  He  died  in  1515,  leaving  his  widow,  with 
three  children,  in  straitened  circumstances.  One  of  the 
children  was  a  beautiful  boy  named  Gerold,  who  suc- 
ceeded in  attracting  the  attention  and  affection  of  his 
grandfather,  who  afterward  made  some  provision  for  the 
support  of  the  widow.  When  Zwingli  met  her  she  was 
no  longer  in  the  bloom  of  youth,  but  was  dignified  in 
manner  and  universally  esteemed.  It  is  said  it  was  ad- 
miration for  the  boy  Gerold  that  first  directed  the  atten- 
tion of  the  great  Reformer  to  the  mother.  We  have  no 
particulars  concerning  the  courtship,  but  it  is  certain  that 
the  marriage  was  for  some  time  kept  secret.  It  was  dan- 
gerous for  a  priest  to  marry,  as  no  one  could  tell  what 
would  be  the  result  of  the  great  conflict,  so  that  Anna 


ANNA    REINHARD.  117 

showed  no  little  courage  in  linking  her  fortunes  to  those 
of  the  bold  champion  of  the  Reformation.  Everything 
indicates  that  she  became  a  model  wife.  She  appreciated 
the  grandeur  of  the  work,  and  therefore  took  charge  of 
the  household  and  saved  her  husband  as  much  as  possible 
from  those  daily  cares  \yhich  might  have  interfered  with 
his  literary  labor.  During  the  great  controversy  of 
Baden,  when,  it  is  said,  Zwingli  did  not  go  to  bed  for  six 
weeks,  we  may  be  sure  Anna  was  not  idle.  She  was 
ready  at  any  hour  to  prepare  refreshment  for  her  hus- 
band, or  for  the  couriers  who  generally  arrived  at  mid- 
night. The  family  life  was  earnest  and  solemn ;  some- 
times Zwingli  would  play  on  the  flute,  to  the  great 
'delight  of  his  wife  and  children,  and  it  is  said,  that  he 
often  consulted  with  his  wife  concerning  the  proper 
training  of  the  little  ones.  With  all  this,  we  can  hardly 
suppose  that  Anna  enjoyed  much  of  what  is  generally 
known  as  domestic  happiness.  It  was  a  period  in  which 
there  was  little  time  for  the  cultivation  of  the  amenities 
of  social  life,  and  men  and  women  were  alike  called  to 
endure  hardness  for  the  cause  of  Christ.  As  the  years 
rolled  on  the  struggle  increased  in  intensity,  and  at  last 
came  the  dreadful  catastrophe  at  Cappel,  where,  in  a 
single  battle,  Anna  lost  her  husband,  her  son  Gerold,  a 
son-in-law,  a  brother,  and  many  other  relatives.  Could 
any  sorrow  be  greater  than  this?  That  her  cotempor- 
aries  appreciated  her  affliction  is  evident  from  a  mourn- 
ful ballad,  "  Frau  Zwingli's  Lament,"  which  *is  still  ex- 
tant. Anna  lingered  seven  years  after  the  death  of  her 


Il8  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

husband,  watching  over  her  children  with  maternal  care, 
and  comforted  by  seeing  them  growing  up  into  worthy 
men  and  women.  Humble  and  uncomplaining,  she  was, 
as  really  as  her  husband,  a  martyr  in  the  cause  of  truth. 

IDELETTE   DE   BURES. 

The  domestic  life  of  John  Calvin  is  very  obscure.  He 
was  twenty-nine  years  old,  and  almost  at  the  zenith  of 
his  fame,  before  he  thought  of  marriage.  Idelette  de 
Bures,  whom  he  chose  to  be  his  wife,  was  of  lofty 
lineage  and  high  culture,  but  of  a  modest  and  retiring 
disposition.  She  was  the  widow  of  an  Anabaptist, 
whom  Calvin  had  converted.  The  union  was  not  the 
result  of  violent  passion,  for  as  Calvin  himself  says,  he 
was  not  "one  of  that  kind."  Audin,  a  Roman  Cath- 
olic writer,  says  "he  wanted  a  secretary,  a  nurse,  a 
cook,  a  manager;"  but  there  is  plenty  of  evidence  to 
show  that  Calvin  fully  appreciated  the  sanctity  of  mar- 
riage, and  chose  his  wife  for  loftier  qualities  than  these. 
His  enemies  have  called  him  heartless,  because  when 
she  died  he  went  on  with  his  employments  as  before; 
but  we  may  well  believe  his  statement,  that  unless  he 
had  done  so  he  would  have  been  utterly  crushed  by 
sorrow.  Seven  years  after  her  death  he  still  speaks  of 
his  great  affliction,  and  he  never  could  be  induced  to 
enter  into  a  second  matrimonial  alliance.  He  speaks  of 
his  wife  as  an  example  of  all  that  is  beautiful  in  women. 
Like  an  ancient  portrait,  almost  effaced  by  time,  we  can 
hardly  discern  her  features,  but  enough  remains  to  as- 
sure us  of  the  incomparable  beauty  of  the  original. 


JEANNE  D'ALBKET.  119 

JEANNE  D'ALBRET, 

We  have  already  referred  to  Margaret  of  Navarre, 
and  to  the  influence  which  she  exerted  in  behalf  of  the 
French  Reformation.  Her  daughter  Jeanne  D'Albret 
manifested  such  courage  in  the  cause  of  the  Huguenots 
that  she  has  come  to  be  regarded  as  a  national  heroine. 
In  her  youth  she  had  been  very  badly  treated  for  her 
inclination  towards  Protestantism,  and  once  she  was  vio- 
lently beaten  by  the  king,  her  father.  She  became  the 
wife  of  Antoine  of  Bourbon,  and  the  mother  of  Henry 
IV.  of  France. 

Navarre,  her  ancestral  kingdom,  was  situated  directly 
south  of  France,  on  the  Spanish  border.  Part  of  it  had 
already  been  seized  by  Spain,  and  when  it  was  found  that 
the  heiress  was  a  Protestant  the  pope  undertook  to  dis- 
pose of  the  rest  in  a  similar  manner.  Her  husband,  who 
had  hitherto  been  ostentatious  in  his  Protestantism,  now 
became  frightened  and  sought  to  make  terms  with  the 
Catholics,  but  Jeanne  was  roused  to  action.  With  the 
courage  characteristic  of  her  race,  she  rode  about  her 
kingdom,  levying  troops,,  fortifying  cities,  and  inspiring 
her  people  to  make  a  bold  defence.  She  issued  an  edict 
formally  introducing  the  Reformed  religion,  and  in  the 
midst  of  war  founded  schools  for  the  instruction  of 
Reformed  ministers.  Her  influence  over  the  Huguenot 
soldiery  was  unbounded,  and  the  enthusiasm  which  was 
excited  in  her  behalf  was  in  itself  an  assurance  of  victory. 
No  doubt  it  was,  in  a  great  degree  owing  to  the  mutual 
jealousies  of  France  and  Spain  that  she  was  enabled  to 


I2O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

sustain  herself  amid  the  surrounding  storm  and  strife; 
but  she  has  left  behind  her  a  brilliant  fame,  and  even  the 
Catholics  of  Southern  France  know  her,  after  three  cen- 
turies, as  "  the  good  Queen  of  Navarre."  She  died  in 
Paris,  and  though  surrounded  by  bigoted  Romanists,  she 
offered  her  testimony  in  that  solemn  hour  in  the  beautiful 
words :  "  I  believe  that  Christ  is  my  only  Saviour  and 
Mediator,  and  I  expect  salvation  through  no  other." 

CHARLOTTE    DE   BOURBON. 

It  has  been  remarked  by  a  recent  writer,  that  "  The 
life  of  Charlotte  de  Bourbon  is  one  of  those  romances  of 
real  life  which  give  to  history  all  the  subtile  charm  of 
fiction."  She  was  a  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Montpen- 
sier,  who  was  one  of  the  stoutest  champions  of  the 
church  of  Rome.  Discovering  that  she  was  inclined  to 
become  a  Protestant  her  father  forced  her  to  enter  the 
convent  of  Jouarre,  of  which  she  soon  became  abbess. 
It  was  not  a  hard  life,  and  to  some  persons  it  might  have 
been  fascinating.  Her  high  rank  was  fully  recognized, 
even  within  the  walls  of  her  convent,  and  the  luxuries 
and  refinements  of  fashionable  life  were  not  absolutely 
excluded.  Charlotte,  however,  hated  the  whole  system, 
and,  in  1572,  escaped  in  disguise,  and  found  a  refuge 
with  the  elector  of  the  Palatinate.  Here  she  met  the 
Prince  of  Orange,  who  afterward  became  her  husband. 
During  the  fiercest  portion  of  the  struggle  with  Spain  she 
stood  by  the  side  of  her  heroic  companion,  and  we  read 
that  his  household  afforded  him  his  chief  consolation  in 
that  period  of  unutterable  misery.  The  Prince  was  sev- 


CATHARINA   BELGICA    OF    HANAU.  121 

eral  times  wounded  by  assassins  before  their  wicked 
plans  were  finally  successful.  On  one  of  these  occasions 
he  was  shot  through  the  head,  and  it  was  believed  that  he 
could  not  recover.  For  eighteen  days  his  wife  watched 
over  him,  and  it  was  chiefly  by  her  tender  nursing  that 
his  precious  life  was  spared.  At  the  end  of  that  period 
the  nation  held  a  festival  of  rejoicing  for  the  restoration 
of  their  Prince.  Charlotte  attended  the  service  in  the 
church,  but  returned  home  utterly  exhausted.  In*  three 
days  she  yielded  up  her  life,  which  it  may  be  said  she 
had  sacrificed  for  her  heroic  husband.  Motley  says: 
"  The  Prince  was  saved,  but  unhappily  the  murderer  had 
yet  found  an  illustrious  victim  —  the  devoted  wife  who 
had  so  faithfully  shared  his  joys  and  sorrows." 

CATHARINA    BELGICA    OF    HANAU. 

This  excellent  lady  was  a  daughter  of  the  Prince  of 
Orange  and  Charlotte  de  Bourbon.  She  was  born  in 
1578,  and  was  married  in  her  eighteenth  year  to  Count 
Philip  Ludwig  II.,  of  Hanau.  Her  husband  lived  but 
sixteen  years  after  his  marriage,  but  after  his  death  the 
affairs  of  state  were  wisely  administered  by  his  widow 
until  1627,  when  she  renounced  the  government  in  favor 
of  her  eldest  son.  She  founded  a  celebrated  literary  in- 
stitution at  Hanau,  which  numbered  among  its  professors 
such  men  as  Tossanus  and  the  younger  Pareus.  Her 
court  was  always  a  place  of  refuge  for  the  oppressed. 
During  the  Thirty  Years'  War  her  principality  was  over- 
run by  armies,  and  she  was  forced  to  retire  to  Holland, 
where  she  died  in  1649. 


122  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

GERTRUDE   VOX    BENTHEiM. 

Bentheim  is  a  small  principality  in  Westphalia. 
Though  it  has  long  lost  its  independence,  its  counts  at 
one  time  occupied  a  prominent  position  among  the 
princely  houses  of  Germany.  Count  Ernst  Wilhelm  had 
remained  unmarried  until  his  thirty-eighth  year,  and  the 
family  of  his  younger  brother  felt  sure  of  the  succession; 
but  in  1663  he  married  Gertrude  von  Zelst,  who  was  of 
noble 'descent,  but  was  not  regarded  as  of  equal  rank 
with  her  husband.  The  disappointed  younger  line  tried 
by  every  means  in  their  power  to  have  the  marriage 
declared  illegal,  so  that  the  poor  countess  was  in  great 
trouble.  Her  husband  was  a  weak  man,  who  had  no 
power  to  defend  himself,  and  in  her  extremity  she 
asked  the  aid  of  the  powerful  Roman  Catholic  bishop  of 
Miinster.  The  bishop  was  glad  of  the  opportunity,  and 
secured  a  decree  from  the  emperor  by  which  the  coun- 
tess was  exalted  to  her  husband's  rank.  Then  he  claimed 
as  his  reward  that  the  family  should  join  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  The  countess,  who  was  a  sincerely 
pious  woman,  declined  to  take  this  step,  but  the  bishop 
watched  his  opportunity,  and  seized  the  count  while  on  a 
journey,  and  after  a  week's  imprisonment  induced  him  to 
renounce  Protestantism.  Then  a  company  of  soldiers 
was  sent  to  take  possession  of  the  castle  of  Bentheim, 
and  as  the  countess  refused  to  admit  them,  the  bishop 
followed  with  4,000  men.  Resistance  was  in  vain,  and 
the  countess  was  taken  as  a  prisoner  to  Miinster. 
Anticipating  the  coming  evil  she  had  sent  her  children 


LOUISA   HENRIETTA   OF    BRANDENBURG.  123 

to  Holland,  confiding  them  to  the  care  of  the  States-Gen- 
eral. After  many  trials  she  also  succeeded  in  escaping 
to  Holland,  where  she  lived  in  retirement  with  her  chil- 
dren. Her  husband,  who  had  by  this  time  become  a 
thorough  Catholic,  secured  a  divorce,  and  was  married 
to  a  countess  of  Limburg.  When  Gertrude  heard  of 
this  second  marriage,  she  could  no  longer  sustain  the 
weight  of  her  sorrow,  and  after  three  days  died  of  a 
broken  heart. 

The  people  of  Bentheim  sympathized  with  their  in- 
jured countess.  They  held  meetings  and  determined  to 
remain  faithful  to  the  Reformed  faith,  and  it  was  at  this 
time  that  the  classis  of  Bentheim  adopted  a  seal,  bearing 
as  a  device,  a  representation  of  our  Saviour  in  the  ship,  in 
in  the  storm  on  the  lake  of  Galilee,  with  the  inscription 
in  Latin,  "  Lord  save  us;  we  perish,"  (Matt.  viii.  25). 

LOUISA    HENRIETTA   OF    BRANDENBURG. 

This  celebrated  poetess  was  born,  Nov.  I7th,  1627,  at 
ihe  Hague,  in  Holland.  She  was  the  eldest  daughter  of 
Frederick  Henry,  Prince  of  Orange,  and  a  grand- 
daughter of  the  famous  Coligni,  Grand  Admiral  of 
France,  who  lost  his  life  for  his  faith  at  the  massacre 
of  St.  Bartholomew.  Her  pious  parents  gave  her  an 
excellent  education,  but  she  did  not  regard  it  as  below 
the  dignity  of  her  station  to  become  familiar  with  every 
kind  of  household  labor.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  she  was 
married  to  Frederick  William  of  Brandenburg,  who  is 
called  "the  Great  Elector,"  and  who  is  properly  regarded 


124  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

as  the  real  founder  of  the  kingdom  of  Prussia.  Though 
he  did  not  assume  the  royal  title,  he  was  as  really  a  king 
as  any  one  of  his  successors.  Louisa  soon  proved  her- 
self the  worthy  consort  of  a  great  ruler.  Her  marriage 
occurred  just  before  the  close  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War, 
when  Germany  had  been  trampled  by  contending  armies 
until  it  was  almost  ruined.  The  princess  labored  with  all 
her  might  to  improve  the  condition  of  her  subjects.  She 
introduced  the  cultivation  of  potatoes,  and  induced  some 
of  the  best  farmers  in  Holland  to  remove  to  Germany 
and  establish  model  farms.  Her  popularity  was  so 
great  that,  it  is  said,  almost  every  female  child  born  dur- 
ing the  first  years  of  her  reign  was  called  "  Louisa." 

Though  she  and  her  husband  were  both  earnestly  at- 
tached to  the  Reformed  faith,  they  labored  earnestly  for 
the  reconciliation  of  the  two  evangelical  churches.  They 
refused  to  promulgate  the  decrees  of  the  Synod  of  Dor- 
drecht, which  they  regarded  as  an  apple  of  discord. 

The  domestic  life  of  the  royal  pair  was  blessed  by 
mutual  affection ;  but  apart  from  this,  it  has  been  said 
their  lives  were  "  a  chain  of  sorrows."  Nearly  all  their 
relatives  died  early,  and  some  of  them  under  the  most 
distressing  circumstances.  There  was  a  succession  of 
dreadful  wars,  and  sometimes  it  seemed  as  though  their 
enemies  would  succeed  in  destroying  them.  Their  great- 
est grief  was  the  death  of  their  only  son,  who  died  in 
infancy.  For  eleven  years  they  had  no  other  child,  and 
it  seemed  as  though  the  House  of  Hohenzollern  must  be- 
come extinct.  The  people  appreciated  the  complications 


LOUISA    HENRIETTA    OF    BRANDENBURG.  125 

to  which  such  an  event  must  give  rise.  There  would  be 
terrible  wars  for  the  succession,  and  the  land  must  again 
be  given  over  to  ruin  and  desolation.  Hence  they,  most 
unjustly,  began  to  regard  the  princess  with  aversion,  and 
many  wished  her  out  of  the  way  for  the  good  of  the 
country. 

All  this  preyed  on  the  mind  of  the  Electress  Louisa. 
She  prayed  over  it,  and  at  last  regarded  it  as  her  duty  to 
make  a  formal  application  for  a  divorce.  One  day  she 
appeared  publicly  before  the  Elector  and  said :  "  I  beg 
leave  to  apply  for  a  divorce.  Take  another  wife,  who  will 
bless  the  country  with  an  heir  to  the  throne.  You  owe 
this  to  the  wishes  of  your  people."  The  Elector,  how- 
ever, refused  to  accept  the  sacrifice,  and  replied :  "  As  far 
as  I  am  concerned,  I  am  determined  to  keep  the  vow 
which  I  made  at  the  altar;  and  if  it  pleases  God  to  pun- 
ish me  and  the  country,  we  will  have  to  endure  it. 
Louisa!  have  you  forgotten  the  words  of  Scripture: 
'  What  God  hath  joined  together  let  no  man  put  asun- 
der.'"  Then  he  gave  her  his  hand  and  said,  smiling; 
"  Well !  who  knows  what  may  yet  happen  ?" 

Greatly  comforted  by  the  unswerving  affection  of  her 
husband,  Louisa  retired  to  her  palace  at  Oranienburg, 
where  she  spent  her  time  in  prayer  and  deeds  of  benefi- 
cence. Her  health  gradually  improved,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  she  had  a  son.  Three  years  later  a  second 
heir  was  granted  her,  and  the  latter  prince  was  afterwards 
Frederick  I.,  of  Prussia,  the  direct  ancestor  of  the  pres- 
ent emperor.  The  prayers  of  Louisa  were  answered,  and 


126  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

as  a.  memorial  of  her  thankfulness  she  established  an 
Orphan  Asylum,  which  is  still  flourishing. 

The  Electress  died  June  i8th,  1667,  soon  after  the 
birth  of  her  sixth  child,  Prince  Louis,  of  Cleves.  Some 
of  her  death-bed  sayings  have  been  recorded.  Once  she 
exclaimed :  "  I  am  drawing  near  the  harbor !  I  see  the 
pinnacles  of  the  celestial  city !  If  I  should  get  well,  it 
would  throw  me  back  into  the  stormy  ocean."  Just  be- 
fore her  death  she  said:  "I  have  passed  with  Elijah 
through  the  storm,  the  earthquake  and  the  fire.  Now  I 
am  waiting  for  the  still,  small  voice."  Her  last  words 
were  :  "  I  hear  the  still,  small  voice." 

It  is  as  the  authoress  of  a  number  of  hymns  that 
Louisa  of  Brandenburg  is  best  remembered.  The  best 
known  of  these  are,  "  Jesus  meine  Zuversicht,"  and  "  Ich 
will  von  meiner  Missethat,"  which  are  sung  wherever  the 
German  language  is  spoken.  The  former,  it  is  said,  is 
always  sung  at  the  burial  of  a  member  of  the  royal 
family  of  Prussia.  Some  years  ago  the  king  presented 
to  the  church  in  which  his  ancestors  used  to  worship  a 
large  bell,  which  he  named  "  Zuversicht,"  bearing  as  an 
inscription  the  first  two  lines  of  her  celebrated  hymn, 
which  may  be  rendered  : 

•'Jesus,  my  eternal  Trust, 
And  my  Saviour,  lives  forever." 

This  hymn  has  been  so  frequently  translated  that,  in 
some  form,  it  is  probably  familiar  to  most  English 
readers.  We  give  several  stanzas,  from  a  version  by  an 
unknown  author,  which,  though  not  very  literal,  contains 
much  of  the  spirit  of  the'original : 


LOUISA    HENRIETTA    OF    BRANDENBURG. 

"Jesus,  my  Redeemer  lives; 

Christ,  my  trust,  is  dead  no  more ! 
In  the  strength  this  knowledge  gives 

Shall  not  all  my  fears  be  o'er, 
Though  the  night  of  death  be  fraught 
Still  with  many  an  anxious  thought  ? 

"Jesus,  my  Redeemer  lives, 

And  His 'life  I  once  shall  see,— 

Bright  the  hope  this  promise  gives; 
Where  He  is,  I,  too,  shall  be. 

Shall  I  fear,  then  ?     Can  the  head 

Rise  and  leave  the  members  dead? 

"  Ye  who  suffer,  sigh  and  moan, 

Fresh  and  glorious  there  shall  reign  ; 

Earthly  here  the  seed  is  sown, 
Heavenly  it  shall  rise  again. 

Natural  here  the  death  we  die ; 

Spiritual  our  life  on  high. 

"  Only  see  ye  that  your  heart 
Rise  betimes  from  worldly  lust. 

Would  ye,  there,  with  Him  have  part ) 
Here  obey  your  Lord  and  trust. 

Fix  your  hearts  beyond  the  skies, 

Whither  ye  yourselves  would  riic." 


CHAPTER  XT. 

The  Great  Theologians — Gomarists  and  Arinimans — The  Scho- 
lastics—  Coccejans  or  Federalists. 

TRAVELERS  in  Europe  never  grow  weary  of  dilating  on 
the  architectural  grandeur  of  the  great  cathedrals.  These 
stupendous  structures  are  so  harmonious  in  all  their 
parts,  so  wonderful  in  their  artistic  execution,  that  they 
are  at  once  recognized  as  works  of  art  of  the  highest 
order.  Not  less  wonderful  to  those  who  take  trouble  to 
examine  them  are  the  works  of  the  great  theologians  who 
have  left  us,  in  great  folios,  their  conceptions  of  the  sys- 
tem of  Christian  doctrine.  Strange  and  curious  their 
writings  may  appear  to  the  present  generation ;  full  of 
odd  conceits  that  are  not  in  accordance  with  modern 
taste ;  but  there  is  in  them  a  certain  strength  and  power, 
a  mastering  of  analytic  details,  which  reminds  us  irresist- 
ibly of  the  colossal  genius  of  the  ancient  architects. 

The  distinguished  theologians  of  the  Reformed  Church 
have  been  so  numerous  that  the  mere  enumeration  of 
their  names  and  masterpieces  would  not  only  be  uninter- 
esting to  the  general  reader,  but  would  prove  a  task  too 
extensive  for  our  present  purpose.  It  is,  therefore,  pos- 
sible only  to  give  a  brief  sketch  of  several  of  the  early 
schools  by  which  Reformed  theology  was  elaborated, 

thus  showing  that  the  Church  has  never  been  narrow  and 

( 128) 


THE   GREAT   THEOLOGIANS.  1 20 

sectarian,  but  has  on  the  .contrary  justified  its  claim  to  be 
regarded  as  the  most  liberal  of  the  Protestant  Churches. 

The  work  of  the  Reformers  was  more  polemic  than 
systematic.  In  most  instances  their  primary  object  was 
to  defend  the  Church  against  the  attacks  of  its  enemies, 
and  it  was  left  to  a  later  generation  to  gather  and  arrange 
the  trophies  of  victory. 

John  Calvin  was  no  doubt  the  greatest  theologian  of 
the  era  of  the  Reformation,  and  his  "  Institutes  "  should 
never  be  mentioned  without  respect.  His  system  was 
further  developed  after  his  death  by  Theodore  Beza, 
Daniel  Chamier,  Benedict  Pictet,  and  others.  It  was, 
however,  never  completely  accepted  by  the  Swiss  and 
Germans.  "  Two-thirds  of  the  Reformed  Church,"  says 
Ebrard,  "  kept  itself  perfectly  free  from  Calvin's  doctrine 
of  absolute  predestination."  Henry  Bullinger,  "the 
wisest  man  the  Reformed  Church  ever  produced,"  based 
his  system  on  the  Incarnation,  as  was  subsequently  done 
in  the  Heidelberg  Catechism.,  He  was  followed  by  the 
five  great  Swiss  theologians— Musculus,  Aretius,  Polanus, 
Wollebius,  and  Alting.  The  theologians  of  the  Palati- 
nate were  intimately  connected  with  those  of  German 
Switzerland,  but  most  of  their  literary  work  was  devoted 
to  the  defence  of  the  Catechism.  The  most  important 
systems  of  Reformed  theology  produced  in  Germany 
during  this  period  were  those  of  Keckermann,  Hyperius, 
and  Alsted. 

In  this  way  two  types  of  doctrine  were  gradually  de- 
veloped, the  one  strictly  Calvinistic,  the  other  approach- 


I  50  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

ing  more  nearly  to  the  teachings  of  Bullinger  and 
Melanchthon.  As  the  age  was  profoundly  interested  in 
theological  questions  it  could  not  be  otherwise  than  that 
these  systems  should  be  brought  into  frequent  conflict, 
but  it  was  in  Holland  especially  that  the  struggle  reached 
its  culmination.  It  would  be  a  weary  task  to  attempt  to 
distinguish  between  the  various  shades  of  doctrine,  which 
in  those  days  furnished  questions  of  the  profoundest  in- 
terest, but  which  now  appear  to  the  general  reader  as 
dry  as  dust.  Even  the  great  questions  concerning  pre- 
destination, though  they  are  still  occasionally  discussed, 
have  lost  much  of  their  interest.  We  have  come  to  feel, 
with  Bullinger,  that  "  Christ  is  the  object  and  contents  of 
divine  predestination,"  and  that  it  is  better  to  seek  for 
living  union  with  Him  than  to  spend  our  lives  in  attempt- 
ing to  fathom  the  oracles  of  God.  It  may,  however,  not 
be  in  vain  to  say  a  few  words  concerning  several  of  the 
more  important  schools  of  doctrine,  whose  leaders  were 
monarchs  in  the  realm  of  thought,  and  whose  influence 
even  now  cannot  be  said  to  have  entirely  passed  away. 

GOMARISTS   AND   ARMINIANS. 

We  have  already  referred  to  the  great  conflict  in  Hol- 
land, which  finally  culminated  in  the  great  synod  of  Dor- 
drecht. The  titles  generally  applied  to  the  conflicting 
parties  were  derived  from  Francis  Gomarus  (1563-1641) 
and  Jacob  Arminius  (1560-1609)  who  were  rival  profes- 
sors in  the  University  of  Leyden.  Gomarus  claimed  to 
be  the  special  champion  of  orthodoxy,  and  insisted  that 


GOMARISTS   AND   ARMINIANS.  13! 

the  confessions  of  the  Church  could  never  be  changed, 
and  that  any  deviation  from  their  strict  letter  must  be 
punished  as  heresy.  Against  this  interpretation  Arminius 
and  his  party  remonstrated,  and  they  were  therefore 
known  as  Remonstrants.  The  main  theological  ques- 
tions at  issue  between  the  parties  were,  of  course,  con- 
nected with  the  doctrine  of  predestination,  but  these  were 
by  no  means  the  only  elements  that  entered  into  the  con- 
flict. Religious  mysteries,  which  should  always  be  ap- 
proached with  reverence,  became  the  ordinary  subjects  of 
political  controversy.  The  struggle  soon  came  to  involve 
questions  which  concerned  the  civil  government,  and  the 
whole  community  was  greatly  excited.  With  the  aid  of 
Prince  Maurice  the  Gomarists  were  finally  successful,  but 
their  triumph  was  sullied  by  many  acts  of  cruelty.  It 
must  however  be  remembered  that  the  conflict  was  no  less 
political  than  ecclesiastical,  and  that  it  resulted  in  break- 
ing the  power  of  the  hereditary  aristocracy  of  Holland. 
A  recent  writer  says :  "  There  was  right  and  wrong  on 
both  sides.  The  doctrines  of  each  party  correct  and 
complete  those  of  the  other,  and  each  may  become  dan- 
gerous by  being  exclusively  entertained."  Ebrard  inti- 
mates that  Arminianism  was  not  so  objectionable  on 
account  of  its  doctrine  of  the  decrees,  as  in  consequence 
of  a  spirit  of  rationalism  that  pervaded  the  whole  system. 
While,  therefore,  the  Reformed  Church  of  Germany 
refused  to  be  bound  by  the  decrees  of  the  Synod  of  Dor- 
drecht, it  was  equally  decided  in  declining  to  accept  the 
system  of  Arminius. 


132  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

THE   SCHOLASTICS. 

The  great  conflict  in  Holland  was  followed  by  a  period 
of  stern  orthodoxy  in  which,  it  was  said,  "men  dreaded 
the  imputation  of  heresy  more  than  sin."  It  was  not  a 
period  of  original  research,  but  the  teachings  of  the 
fathers  were  gathered  and  arranged  with  incredible  labor 
and  patience.  It  would  however  be  a  great  error  to  sup- 
pose that  all  this  was  mere  formalism,  or  that  there  was  a 
lack  of  earnest  piety.  The  system  was  scholastic — it  was 
better  suited  to  the  school  than  to  the  pulpit,  and  strongly 
resembled  the  mediaeval  philosophy  from  which  it  derived 
its  name,  but  it  produced  a  series  of  Christian  teachers 
who  are  worthy  of  the  highest  reverence. 

Gisbert  Voctius  (1589-1676)  was  undoubtedly  the 
greatest  of  the  scholastic  theologians.  Nature  seemed  to 
have  designed  him  to  be.  a  ruler  of  men,  and  during  his 
long  career  he  certainly  exercised  a  far  greater  personal 
influence  than  many  a  crowned  monarch.  In  his  youth 
he  had  been  a  delegate  to  the  Synod  of  Dordrecht,  and 
during  his  whole  life  he  labored  so  faithfully  to  execute 
its  decrees  that  he  was  called  "  the  hammer  of  the  Re- 
monstrants." Yet  this  great  man  felt  the  necessity  of 
cultivating  a  more  profound  spirit  of  devotion  in  the 
Dutch  churches,  and  it  was  mainly  through  his  influ- 
ence that  the  celebrated  French  revival  preacher  Jean 
de  Labadie  was  brought  to  Holland,  though  if  he  had 
known  how  violently  the  dry  bones  would  be  shaken, 
it  is  probable  the  Frenchman  would  never  have  been 
invited.  The  times  were  however  ripe  for  a  reaction, 


THE   COCCEJANS    OR    FEDERALISTS.  133 

and  it  came  in  the  promulgation  of  another  system  of 
doctrine. 

THE   COCCEJANS    OR    FEDERALISTS. 

Dr.  Johannes  Coccejus  (1605—1669)  was  a  native  of 
Bremen.  His  family  name  was  Koch,  but  according  to 
the  fashion  of  the  times,  he  gave  it  a  Latin  form.  From 
his  earliest  youth  he  was  inclined  to  religious  study,  and 
this  tendency  was  strengthened  by  the  training  which  he 
received  at  home.  In  order  to  avoid  the  prevalent  rowdy- 
ism of  the  German  universities,  he  studied  in  Holland, 
and  before  he  was  of  age  was  recognized  as  an  orientalist 
of  the  highest  order.  Called  to  a  professorship  in  Hol- 
land, he  soon  protested  against  the  prevalent  exclusive 
devotion  to  the  confessions  of  faith.  With  the  utmost 
enthusiasm  he  led  his  pupils  back  to  the  Bible  as  the 
only  source  of  our  knowledge  of  the  truth.  He  taught 
them  to  devote  less  attention  to  the  decrees,  and  more  to 
the  covenant  which  God  has  established  with  His  people. 

In  this  way  Coccejus  became  the  father  of  what  is 
known  in  the  Reformed  Church  as  "  Biblical  Theology." 
Among  his  disciples  were  such  men  as  Burmann, 
Witsius,  Lampe,  Vitringa,  and  others,  from  whom  direct- 
ly or  indirectly,  many  of  the  early  ministers  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  the  United  States  derived  their  theo- 
logical instruction. 

The  contests  of  the  Coccejans  and  Scholastics  were 
sometimes  violent,  but  they  were  never  as  bitter  as  those 
of  the  Gomarists  and  Arminians.  In  Holland  the  Cocce- 


134  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

jans  were  soon  tolerated,  and  in  Germany  their  teachings 
were  almost  universally  accepted. 

The  Reformed  Church  has  had  many  schools  of  doc- 
trine, and  we  might  speak  at  length  of  Cartesians,  Amy- 
raldists,  Welfians  and  others.  These  were  not  sects  but 
theological  parties  which  served  their  purpose  and  then 
passed  away.  Their  contentions  were  sometimes  fierce, 
but  we  believe  the  only  instances  of  real  persecution 
occurred  during  the  Arminian  controversy,  and  for  these 
the  Church  is  less  to  be  blamed  than  the  State. 

We  have  mentioned  but  a  few  of  the  most  eminent 
early  Reformed  theologians.  Heppe  enumerates  not  less 
than  fifty-three  professors  who,  before  the  present  cen- 
tury, wrote  and  published  systems  of  theology;  and 
besides  these  there  were  many  who  prepared  commen- 
taries on  the  Heidelberg  Catechism.  The  works  of  these 
great  men  are  now  but  rarely  read,  but  while  we  enjoy 
the  blessings  which  we  owe  to  their  labors,  let  us  not 
forget  the  patient  toilers  who  have  hardened  the  path  for 
our  feet. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Th<*  Great  Revival — Jean  De  Labadie — Jodocus    Van 
stein —  The  Pietists — Philip  Jacob  Sfiener —  The  Great  Hymnol- 
ogists — Joachim  Neander — Gerhard  Tersteegen. 

THE  seventeenth  century  was  a  period  of  gigantic  con- 
flicts. At  present  it  is  difficult  to  form  an  adequate  idea 
of  the  horrors  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  and  of  the  sub- 
sequent French  invasions.  Germany  was  trodden  by 
contending  armies  until  it  was  little  better  than  a  wilder- 
ness; a  generation  grew  up  which  had  no  idea  of  the 
blessings  of  peace.  There  was  misery  everywhere,  and 
if  it  had  not  been  for  the  fact  that  the  Christian  faith 
affords  comfort  in  affliction,  it  is  probable  that  even  the 
feeble  spark  that  remained  would  have  ceased  to  glim- 
mer. 

Even  in  Holland,  the  condition  of  the  Church  was  very 
discouraging.  The  whole  ecclesiastical  system  appeared 
to  be  petrified.  Folks  went  to  church  as  their  fathers 
had  done,  sang  their  old,  unmusical  version  of  the  Psalms, 
and  listened  to  rigidly  analytical  discourses  on  the  points 
of  Calvinism,  but  the  enthusiasm  which  had  sustained 
the  Church  in  its  hours  of  trial  appeared  to  have  de- 
parted. The  Church,  it  was  evident,  could  only  be  saved 
by  a  genuine  revival  of  Christian  life;  and  though  when 
it  came  it  sometimes  ran  to  unwarrantable  extremes,  it 

('35) 


136  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

must,  as  a  whole,  be  regarded  as  a  precious  season  of 
refreshing — a  blessed  rain,  that  caused  the  desert  wastes 
to  bud  and  blossom. 

Two  men  were,  under  the  Providence  of  God,  mainly 
instruments  in  the  inauguration  of  this  great  revival. 
Differing  widely  in  personal  characteristics,  as  well  as  in 
their  views  of  the  truth,  they  were  both  undoubtedly 
sincere;  and  though  one  of  them  ended  his  career  in 
wild  fanaticism,  their  united  influence  was  so  great  and 
in  the  main  so  beneficent,  that  they  deserve  a  prominent 
place  in  the  history  of  the  Church. 

Jean  de  Labadie  (1610-1674)  was  a  native  of  Guyenne, 
in  southern  France.  He  is  described  as  having  been  of 
small  stature,  but  of  a  fiery  spirit,  and  possessed  of  extra- 
ordinary eloquence.  Having  been  well  educated  he  was 
ordained  to  the  priesthood  at  an  early  age.  An  enthusi- 
ast by  nature,  he  soon  found  himself  hampered  by  the 
services  of  the  Church  of  Rome.  As  a  pulpit  orator  he 
attracted  great  attention,  but  when  he  undertook  to 
organize  a  brotherhood  in  the  Catholic  Church,  consist- 

O 

ing  of  those  who  were  truly  converted,  the  Jesuits  deter- 
mined to  crush  him.  In  1650  he  entered  the  Reformed 
Church,  and  was  for  some  time  pastor  of  Calvin's  Church 
in  Geneva.  Here  his  preaching  caused  intense  excitement. 
Tens  of  thousands  of  people  flocked  to  hear  him,  and 
multitudes  professed  conversion.  When  he  was  at  the 
height  of  his  popularity  he  received  a  call  to  come  to 
Holland,  for  the  purpose  of  awakening  the  people  to  a 
renewed  interest  in  religion.  Like  most  revivalists,  he 


JEAN    DE    LABADIE.  •  137 

was  fond  of  changing  his  residence,  and  became  pastor  of 
the  French  Church  at  Middleburg.  The  good  men  who 
called  him,  however,  soon  discovered  their  error.  His 
preaching  proved  a  firebrand,  which  caused  a  destructive 
conflagration.  He  had  no  difficulty  in  rousing  the  peo- 
ple to  the  highest  enthusiasm,  but  it  soon  became  evident 
that  neither  he  nor  his  followers  would  submit  to  the 
rules  of  the  Church.  Doctrine,  he  held,  was  nothing,  and 
personal  experience  everything.  With  regard  to  the 
nature  of  personal  consecration  his  fanaticism  knew  no 
bounds.  Every  true  Christian,  he  said,  was  bound  to 
preach  the  gospel,  and  he  insisted  that  his  uneducated 
followers  should  renounce  all  secular  business,  and  go 
forth  to  declare  the  glad  tidings. 

Labadie  was  the  type  and  forerunner  of  a  vast  multi- 
tude of  mystics  and  sectarians,  and  would  hardly  be 
worth  mentioning  in  this  connection  if  he  had  not  started 
a  movement  that  was  greater  than  himself.  Personally, 
he  finally  withdrew  from  the  church  and  sank  into  ob- 
scurity, after  founding  a  fanatical  sect  which  maintained 
a  sickly  existence  for  nearly  a  century.  Among  the 
multitude  who  were  awakened  by  his  preaching  there 
were,  however,  many  who  did  not  imitate  him  in  his  ex- 
cesses, and  whose  influence  on  the  Reformed  Church 
was  most  beneficent.  The  noblest  men  of  the  next 
generation — the  men  who  were  shining  lights  in  the 
midst  of  the  prevailing  darkness — were  contemptuously 
called  Labadists  ;  but  they  only  acknowledged  the  term 
in  so  far  as  to  confess  that  they  were  converted  during 


138'  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

the  revival  which  was  begun  by  the  preaching  of  Jean  de 
Labadie.  That  the  current  was  generally  kept  within  its 
ancient  bounds  was,  however,  owing  in  great  measure 
to  the  influence  of  another  preacher  of  righteousness, 
whose  name  is  now  almost  forgotten. 

Jodocus  Van  Lodcnstein  (1620-1677)  was  a  native  of 
Delft,  in  Holland.  Though  educated  in  theology  by 
Voetius  and  Coccejus,  he  had  no  ambition  to  be  regarded 
as  a  great  theologian,  but  rather  longed  to  be  instrumen- 
tal in  leading  men  to  Christ.  Personally  he  was  more 
like  a  mediaeval  saint  than  like  a  Protestant  minister, 
but  with  all  his  eccentricities,  he  was  a  model  pastor. 
The  people  called  him  "Father  Lodenstein;"  and  his 
earnest  piety  exerted  a  more  profound  influence  than 
the  eloquence  of  many  of  his  contemporaries.  Through 
his  exertions  strict  discipline  was  maintained  in  the 
Dutch  churches,  and  thousands  of  earnest  people  were 
thus  kept  from  becoming  sectarians.  Lodenstein  was 
the  first  of  the  Reformed  mystics — of  whom  Tersteegen 
was  another  brilliant  example — who,  while  remaining 
faithful  to  the  church  of  their  fathers,  exercised  an  influ- 
ence which  extended  far  beyond  its  limits.  Their  pecu- 
liarities of  practice  have  been  forgotten,  but  their  sincere 
piety,  as  expressed  in  hymns  and  books  of  devotion,  has 
remained  to  bless  the  Church  in  all  succeeding  ages. 

THE    PIETISTS. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  people  who  had  been  awakened 
by  the  great  revival  were  at  first  contemptuously  termed 


THE    PIETISTS.  139 

Labadists,  but  about  1690  it  became  usual  to  call  them 
Pietists,  from  their  supposed  claims  to  extraordinary 
piety.  This  term  was  first  used  among  the  Lutherans, 
and  it  was  common  to  call  the  same  class  among  the 
Reformed  "  die  Feinen."  The  former  title,  however,  pre- 
vailed in  both  churches,  and  from  that  day  to  this  it  has 
been  commonly  but  very  vaguely  employed.  Rational- 
ists have  unkindly  applied  it,  as  a  term  of  reproach,  to 
all  earnest  Christians.  It  is  a  nickname,  of  course,  and 
as  such  objectionable ;  but  it  may  be  conveniently  used 
as  a  general  term  for  all  who,  during  the  great  revival  of 
the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  devoted  them- 
selves especially  to  the  cultivation  of  the  inner  life. 
Some  of  these  people  were  wild  fanatics,  others  were 
quiet,  unpretentious  Christians,  and  there  never  was,  and 
never  could  be,  a  sect  including  these  discordant  varie- 
ties. The  term  Pietist — like  Quietist  among  the  Roman 
Catholics — is  therefore  to  be  applied  to  a  kind  of  people 
rather  than  to  any  single  organized  body. 

A  German  writer  (Koch)  represents  the  Pietists  of  the 
eighteenth  century  as  having  consisted  of  three  classes : 
I.  The  Pietists  Proper,  who  remained  in  connection  with 
the  established  churches ;  2.  The  Moravians,  who  were 
historically  derived  frOm  the  Bohemian  Brethren,  but 
who  for  a  time  cultivated  a  Pietistic  spirit  which  was 
peculiar  to  themselves;  and  3.  The  Mystics,  consisting 
of  many  sects,  who  often  ran  into  the  wildest  excesses. 
It  is  with  the  first  of  these  classes  that  we  are  at  present 
especially  concerned. 


I4O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Philip  Jacob  Spcncr  (1635-1705)  is  often  called  "the 
father  of  Pietism,"  though  he  was  in  fact  only  its  most 
distinguished  exponent.  He  was  a  Lutheran,  but  his 
influence  in  the  Reformed  Church  was  fully  as  great  as 
in  his  own.  It  is  principally  to  him  that  both  churches 
owe  the  re-establishment  of  catechisation  and  confirma- 
tion, which  had  been  universally  neglected.  Though 
bitterly  persecuted  in  his  day,  posterity  has  accorded  him 
one  of  the  noblest  places  in  the  history  of  the  Church. 
Of  course  he  had  many  coadjutors,  among  whom,  in  the 
Reformed  Church,  Theodore  Untereyk  was  perhaps  the 
most  prominent. 

These  men  were,  in  a  certain  sense,  working  in  the 
dark,  and  consequently  sometimes  employed  methods 
which  experience  has  proved  to  have  been  mistaken. 
They  occasionally  founded  within  the  church  societies  or 
brotherhoods,  supposed  to  consist  of  those  who  were 
truly  pious,  but  such  organizations  could  not  fail  to  re- 
sult in  dissensions.  Some  of  these  good  people  wandered 
to  the  very  verge  of  sectarianism,  if  they  did  not  pass  be- 
yond it.  With  all  its  imperfections  this  period  was, 
however,  a  blessed  time  in  the  history  of  the  church. 
This  is  especially  evident  from  the  multitude  of  hymns 
which  were  then  composed.  "  Spring  had  come,  and  all 
the  birds  in  the  forest  began  to  sing." 

THE    GREAT    HYMNOLOGISTS. 

Hitherto  the  Reformed  Church  had  been  satisfied  to 
sing  the  psalms  of  David,  according  to  the  version  of 


THE    GREAT    HYMNOLOGISTS.  14! 

Ambrosius  Lobwasser.  Indeed,  there  were  many  who 
believed  it  wrong  to  sing  uninspired  productions ;  but 
now  the  time  had  come  when  the  stream  of  devotion 
could  no  longer  be  kept  within  its  ancient  channels. 
Foremost  among  the  poets  of  the  Reformed  Church 
was  unquestionably  Joachim  Ncander  (1650-1680),  who 
was  very  harshly  treated  for  his  religious  views,  and 
consequently  dwelt  for  several  months  in  a  cave,  in 
which  he  composed  his  finest  hymns.  Hardly  less 
eminent  as  a  poet  was  "  the  noble  mystic,"  Gerhard 
Tersteegen  (1697—1769),  who  stood  on  the  borders  of 
sectarianism,  but  who  was  still  in  his  own  way  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Reformed  Church.  He  voluntarily 
lived  in  extreme  poverty,  and  frequently  spent  weeks 
without  seeing  a  single  human  being,  except  the  little 
girl  who  brought  him  his  food.  In  humility  and  re- 
tirement he  composed  hymns  and  devotional  books 
which  exerted  an  extensive  influence  on  the  Church. 
His  best  hymns  are  still  sung,  and  even  his  devotional 
writings  are  not  entirely  forgotten. 

Among  the  later  sacred  poets  of  the  Reformed  Church 
were  such  eminent  men  a£  Stilling,1  the  Zollikofers,* 

ljohann  Heinrich  Jung,  called  Stilling,  (1740-1817)  is  celebrated 
in  science  and  general  literature,  no  less  than  in  the  annals  of  the  Church. 
He  was  a  poor  tailor's  son,  but  rose  to  be,  not  only  a  professor  in  the 
Universities  of  Heidelberg  and  Marburg,  but  a  celebrated  oculist,  and  a 
distinguished  writer  in  defence  of  Christianity. 

^Caspar  Zollikofer  (born  1707),  pastor  at  St.  Gall,  Switzerland,  and 
Qeorge  Joachim  Zollikofer  (1730-1788),  pastor  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  Leipsic,  Germany,  have  bequeathed  us  many  treasures  of  sacred  song. 


142  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

Lampe,1  Lavater,1  and  more  recently  Menken3  and  the 
Krummachers4.  Nor  should  we  forget  Louisa  Henri- 
etta, the  illustrious  Princess  of  Brandenburg,  and,  within 
the  present  century,  the  celebrated  Swiss  poetesses, 
Anna  Schlatter  and  Meta  Heusser.  These  are  names 
which  have  the  fragrance  of  sweet  incense  —  they  should 
be  kept  in  everlasting  remembrance.  The  student  of  the 
history  of  the  Reformed  Church  must,  of  course,  become 
familiar  with  its  confessions  of  faith,  but  he  will  find  its 
peculiar  life  most  completely  reflected  in  its  hymns  and 
books  of  devotion. 


Adolph  Lampe  (1683-1729),  was  pastor  of  St.  Ansgar's 
Church,  Bremen.  His  eloquence  was  extraordinary,  and  his  influence 
unbounded. 

11  John  Caspar  Lavater  (1741-1801),  who  was  called  by  Goethe  "the 
best,  greatest,  wisest,  and  sincerest  of  all  mortal  and  immortal  men,"  was 
for  many  years  pastor  of  a  church  in  Zurich.  He  is  best  known  for  the 
most  insignificant  of  his  achievements  —  the  supposed  discovery  of  a  science 
of  physiognomy. 

^Gottfried  Menken  (1768-1831),  was  a  celebrated  pulpit  orator  of 
Bremen. 

^Friedrich  Adolph  Krummacher  (1768—1845)  and  his  two  distin- 
guished sons,  Friedrich  Wilhelm  and  Emil,  have  been  equally  celebrated 
as  preachers  and  as  sacred  poets  * 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

After  the  Thirty  Years'  War — The  Treaty — The  People — The 
Invasion  of  the  Palatinate  and  its  Consequences— Present  State 
of  the  Reformed  Church. 

FOR  more  than  a  generation  Germany  had  been  the 
battlefield  of  Europe.  To  the  Protestants  it  was  a 
struggle  for  life  or  death.  Their  unfortunate  dissensions 
had  prevented  them  from  standing  together  as  they 
ought  to  have  done  in  such  a  crisis,  and  for  a  while  it 
seemed  as  though  the  imperial  generals,  Tilly  and  Wal- 
lenstein,  would  succeed  in  thoroughly  humbling  the 
Protestant  league.  Indeed,  at  one  time  the  Protestant 
cause  appeared  to  be  utterly  lost,  but  the  brilliant  cam- 
paign of  Gustavus  Adolphus,  of  Sweden,  gave  matters  a 
more  favorable  turn. 

At  last  both  parties  were  utterly  exhausted,  and  a 
peace  was  patched  up  in  Westphalia,  in  1648,  which  is 
generally  regarded  as  concluding  the  Thirty  Years'  War, 
but  in  reality  it  brought  neither  peace  nor  security. 
Other  conflicts  followed  in  rapid  succession,  and  the  con- 
dition of  the  people  remained  utterly  miserable. 

THE   TREATY. 

The  treaty  of  Westphalia  is  often  referred  to  as  the 
occasion  when  Germany  first  received  religious  liberty, 
but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  this  so-called  liberty 

(143) 


144  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

was  granted  in  accordance  with  the  policy  of  the  French 
statesman,  Richelieu,  who  sought  in  every  way  to  divide 
Germany  in  order  that  France  might  rule  the  world.  In 
France  he  had  insisted  that  all  must  be  Roman  Catho- 
lics, not  because  he  cared  for  religion,  but  because  he 
thought  unity  would  promote  the  strength  of  the  nation. 
In  Germany,  on  the  other  hand,  he  sustained  the  Prot- 
estants, though  he  fomented  dissensions  among  them. 
The  three  principal  religious  confessions — Catholics, 
Lutherans,  and  Reformed — were,  according  to  the 
treaty,  to  be  recognized  by  the  government;  but  a  clause 
was  inserted  by  which  the  Catholic  religion  was  to 
be  maintained  wherever  there  were  any  people  who 
desired  it.  In  consequence  of  this  proviso,  the  Jesuits 
set  to  work  to  discover  isolated  Catholic  families  in  Prot- 
estant countries,  and  a  few  years  afterwards  it  was  found 
that  they  had  thus  introduced  the  Catholic  Church  into 
1922  Protestant  towns  and  villages.  The  Protestant 
princes  protested  against  the  trick ;  but  the  emperor  was 
on  the  Catholic  side,  and  he  declared  that  by  the  terms 
of  the  treaty,  ecclesiastical  matters  must  no  longer  be 
discussed.  These  encroachments  were  generally  made 
at  the  expense  of  the  Reformed  Church,  which  was 
smaller  and  less  compact  than  the  Lutheran,  and  conse- 
quently less  able  to  resist  aggression. 

In  pursuance  of  his  policy  of  division,  Richelieu 
secured  the  recognition  of  the  quasi  independence  of 
almost  every  German  robber-baron,  knowing  that  these 
little  potentates  would  in  future  resist  any  attempts  at 


THE    PEOPLE.  143 

consolidation,  and  thus  render  Germany  powerless  for 
aggression  or  defence.  "The  fate  of  Richelieu,"  says 
Hegel,  "  has  consequently  resembled  that  of  many  other 
statesmen,  inasmuch  as  he  has  been  cursed  by  his  coun- 
trymen, while  his  enemies  have  looked  upon  the  work 
by  which  he  ruined  them  as  the  most  sacred  goal  of 
their  desires — the  consummation  of  their  rights  and 
liberties." 

THE    PEOPLE. 

The  condition  of  the  German  people  at  this  period 
was  deplorable  in  the  extreme.  It  seemed  as  though 
wars  would  never  cease.  Bands  of  robbers  occupied 
ruined  castles,  and  the  governments  were  not  strong 
enough  to  dislodge  them.  The  peasants  lived  in  mis- 
erable huts,  fearing  to  make  the  slightest  improvement, 
lest  they  should  tempt  the  companies  of  marauders  who 
roamed  over  the  land  in  search  of  booty.  A  generation 
had  grown  up  which  was  rude  and  ignorant.  Fortu- 
nately, parents  generally  regarded  it  as  a  religious  duty 
to  teach  their  children  to  read  the  Bible  and  Catechism, 
and,  perhaps,  to  write  a  little;  but  beyond  this  point 
their  knowledge  rarely  extended.  Their  piety  assumed  a 
gloomy  cast,  and  thousands  were  ready  to  believe  the 
false  prophets  who  were  constantly  appearing,  and  who 
claimed  to  see  signs  in  the  heavens,  or  elsewhere,  indi- 
cating the  speedy  approach  of  the  end  of  all  things. 
"The  government,"  says  Loher,  "cared  nothing  for  the 
people,  and  almost  everywhere  the  religious  party  which 


146  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

happened  to  be  in  the  majority  oppressed  dissenters. 
This  state  of  things  was  worst  in  the  Palatinate,  where 
the  electors  had  changed  their  religion  four  times  in  as 
many  reigns.  The  whole  country  was  expected  to  fol- 
low the  example  of  its  rulers,  and  whoever  was  not  wil- 
ling to  accommodate  himself  to  this  state  of  affairs  could 
do  no  better  than  take  up  his  pilgrim's  staff  and  leave 
his  native  land." 

The  German  princes  and  nobles  were  in  general  a 
multitude  of  petty  tyrants,  without  enough  dignity  or 
culture  to  render  them  respectable.  Prince  Eugene  said 
concerning  them  :  "  God  forgive  them,  for  they  know 
not  what  they  do;  much  less  do  they  know  what  they 
want;  and,  least  of  all,  what  they  are."  They  voted 
the  taxes,  and  the  burghers  and  peasants  paid  them. 
Since  the  introduction  of  the  system  of  employing  mer- 
cenaries, they  had  even  been  released  from  military 
service,  and  now  lived  from  the  income  of  their 
estates,  or  rather  from  the  enforced  labor  of  the  peas- 
antry, without  contributing  in  any  way  to  the  support 
of  the  State.  "Though  the  nobles  possessed  apparent 
prosperity,"  says  the  historian  QEser,  "they  became 
more  and  more  contemptible.  Those  of  them  who 
remained  on  their  estates  maltreated  their  subjects; 
those  who  flocked  to  the  courts  held  all  the  important 
offices,  helped  to  spend  the  revenues  of  the  State  in 
luxury,  and  were  principally  in  fault  that  the  German 
princes  degenerated  into  oriental  despots.  According 
to  the  Imperial  Proclamation  of  1670,  peasants  were 


THE   PEOPLE.  147 

required  to  furnish  without  complaint  everything  that 
might  be  necessary  for  the  sustenance  of  the  army  or 
of  their  legitimate  rulers,  and  it  was  ordered  that  no 
complaints  presented  by  peasants  should  be  considered 
in  the  imperial  courts.  No  property  was  safe;  the 
peasants  and  burghers  alike  laboring  only  to  sustain 
life;  the  nobles  corrupt,  quarreling  among  themselves, 
and  caring  only  for  the  advancement  of  their  houses 
or  the  discovery  of  new  sources  of  revenue." 

The  condition  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  cities  was 
hardly  preferable  to  that  of  the  peasantry.  Many  of  the 
cities,  it  is  true,  were  thoroughly  fortified,  and  had  thus 
escaped  the  horror  of  being  taken  and  sacked.  It  had 
been  their  good  fortune  that  the  armies  were  generally  ill 
provided  with  heavy  artillery;  but  during  the  long  wars 
the  usual  avenues  of  communication  had  been  cut  off,  and 
commerce  had  found  other  channels.  During  the  Mid- 
dle Ages  the  great  German  cities  of  the  Hanseatic  league 
had  monopolized  the  trade  of  Europe;  but  now  England, 
Holland,  Denmark,  and  Sweden  had  become  commercial 
countries,  and  the  wealth  of  the  great  German  merchants 
rapidly  melted  away.  Thousands  of  tradesmen  were 
thrown  out  of  employment  and  wandered  about  in 
turbulent  crowds.  The  proud  patrician  families,  which 
had  been  apt  to  sneer  at  the  comparative  poverty  of  the 
nobility,  and  had  known  how  to  maintain  their  rights  in 
the  face  of  imperial  power,  were  now  humbled  to  the 
dust,  and  the  law  was  dictated  to'  them  by  some  miser- 
able little  potentate. 


14?  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

The  misery  of  Germany  increased  the  importance  of 
France.  Louis  XIV.  was  ambitious  of  re-establishing 
the  empire  of  Charlemagne,  and  after  the  death  of  Ferdi- 
nand III.  in  1657,  spent  .vast  sums  of  money  for  the 
purpose  of  bribing  the  German  princes  to  elect  him 
emperor;  but  the  majority  of  the  Diet  still  retained 
enough  national  feeling  to  elect  a  German.  Their  choice 
fell  upon  Leopold,  who  was  a  weak  prince,  entirely  under 
the  influence  of  the  Jesuits  and  of  his  prime  minister, 
Lobkowitz,  who  was  known  to  be  a  pensioner  of  France. 

Disappointed  in  his  ambition,  the  French  king  now 
determined  to  retaliate  by  seizing  the  Palatinate,  which 
he  claimed  in  the  name  of  his  sister-in-law,  the  Duchess 
of  Orleans,  who  had  been  a  Palatinate  princess. 

THE    INVASION   OF   THE   PALATINATE. 

The  valley  of  the  Rhine  had  been  several  times  over- 
ran by  French  armies,  but  the  great  invasion  occurred  in 
1689.  It  is  said  that  the  French  king  entertained  the 
foolish  notion  that  he  could  make  a  future  invasion  of 
France  impossible  by  devastating  both  banks  of  the 
river,  and  thus  protecting  his  country  by  making  a  broad 
band  of  desert.  At  any  rate,  he  knew  that  he  could  not 
permanently  hold  the  Palatinate,  and  therefore  gave 
orders  to  his  generals  to  destroy  all  cities  which  they 
were  unable  to  garrison.  In  one  year  Worms,  Mainz, 
Speyer,  Mannheim,  Heidelberg,  and  many  other  cities, 
towns  and  villages,  were  either  burned  or  utterly  devas- 
tated. At  Speyer  and  Worms  the  churches  alone  were 


THE    INVASION    OF   THE    PALATINATE.  149 

left  standing  in  the  midst  of  smoking  ruins.  In  the 
former  city  the  vaults  were  broken  open,  the  bones 
of  the  ancient  emperors  thrown  out,  and  the  French 
soldiers  amused  themselves  by  playing  ten-pins  with 
the  skulls  of  Salian  monarchs.  At  Mannheim  the  very 
stones  of  which  the  city  was  built  were  thrown  into  the 
Neckar.  The  castle  of  Heidelberg,  the  chief  residence 
of  the  electors  of  the  Palatinate,  was  ruined,  and  its 
remains  still  stand  as  a  memorial  of  that  dreadful  time. 
The  misery  of  the  people  was  indescribable.  The 
French  general,  Melac,  had  all  the  vines  on  the  hill-sides 
near  Heidelberg  cut  down  by  his  soldiery,  thus  depriving 
the  peasants  of  their  only  means  of  subsistence.  No 
wonder  that,  in  the  Palatinate,  the  name  "  Melac "  is 
given  to  dogs,  but  only  to  curs  of  inferior  degree. 
On  one  occasion,  in  the  dead  of  winter,  the  people  of  a 
large  district  were  turned  out  of  their  homes,  which  were 
immediately  committed  to  the  flames.  More  than  one 
hundred  thousand  people  were  rendered  homeless.  Half 
naked  they  wandered  into  the  fields  and  forests,  and 
many  died  of  starvation.  Immense  multitudes  wan- 
dered down  the  Rhine,  and  the  towns  and  the  cities 
by  the  way,  in  many  instances,  fed  them  at  the  public 
expense  and  sent  them  further.  Utterly  destitute,  they 
arrived  in  Holland,  and  encamped  by  tens  of  thousands 
in  the  environs  of  Amsterdam  and  Rotterdam.  The 
Dutch  government  and  people  did  all  in  their  power  to 
relieve  the  distressed,  but  with  all  they  could  do  there 
was  great  suffering  among  the  unhappy  fugitives.  Every 


I5O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

year  there  were  new  French  invasions,  and  the  multitude 
of  sufferers  increased.  What  was  to  be  done  with  them? 
Many,  of  course,  were  gradually  scattered  over  the  Ger- 
man empire;  others  were  sent  to  the  Dutch  colonies  in 
East  India  and  Guiana;  and  a  few  accompanied  the  com- 
panies of  sectarians  who  settled  in  Pennsylvania  at  the 
invitation  of  William  Penn.  It  was,  however,  not  until 
the  year  1704  that  the  emigration  to  America  may  be  said 
to  have  fairly  begun.  "  In  that  year,"  said  Christopher 
Saur,  "  after  the  Duke  of  Maryborough  had  defeated  the 
French  at  Schellenberg  (Blenheim),  Queen  Anne  of  Eng- 
land invited  the  suffering  Palatines  to  find  a  home  in 
America,  and  transported  many  thousands  of  them 
thither  at  her  own  expense."  The  Queen,  however, 
soon  found  that  she  had  undertaken  a  greater  task 
than  she  could  accomplish.  Multitudes  of  Germans 
flocked  to  England  to  avail  themselves  of  the  Queen's 
bounty.  The  dreadful  winter  of  1709  had  greatly  in- 
creased the  distress  which  prevailed  in  the  Palatinate, 
and  in  the  succeeding  summer  no  less  than  30,000  peo- 
ple left  their  native  land.  They  encamped  by  thou- 
sands in  the  neighborhood  of  London.  As  they  were 
ready  to  work  for  almost  nothing,  the  lower  classes 
were  greatly  prejudiced  against  them,  and  maltreated 
them  whenever  they  could  find  an  opportunity. 

What  shall  be  done  with  the  Palatines?  became  the 
great  question  of  the  day.  It  was  said  that  all  the 
ships  in  the  British  navy  would  not  suffice  to  carry 
them  to  America.  First  of  all,  the  Roman  Cath- 


THE    INVASION*    OF   THE    PALATINATE.  151 

olics  were  separated  from  the  number  and  compelled 
to  return  to  Germany.  Nearly  four  thousand  of  these 
were  sent  back  at  once,  each  of  whom  received  about 
four  dollars  as  a  gift  from  the  Queen,  as  a  sort  of 
indemnity  for  his  disappointment.  The  prejudice  of 
the  London  populace  against  the  Roman  Catholics  was 
so  intense  that  unless  they  had  been  sent  back,  the 
Palatines  would  have  been  attacked  and  probably  mas- 
sacred. The  queen  and  the  wealthier  classes  were 
exceedingly  liberal,  and  distributed  from  three  to  four 
hundred  thousand  dollars  in  charity.  Those  whose 
clothes  were  worn  out  were  dressed  at  the  expense 
of  the  queen,  and  she  is  said  to  have  distributed 
32,000  pairs  of  shoes.  This  relief  could,  however, 
only  be  temporary,  and  the  problem  of  the  final  dis- 
position of  the  Palatines  was  still  unsolved.  The 
Duke  of  Sussex  and  other  noblemen  settled  some  hun- 
dreds as  laborers  on  their  estates.  Between  three  and 
four  thousand  were  placed  on  certain  unoccupied  lands 
in  the  county  of  Limerick,  in  Ireland.  Among  their 
descendants,  it  will  be  remembered,  John  Wesley  made 
some  of  his  earliest  converts,  and  Embury  and  Barbara 
Heck  were  of  Palatinate  descent.  The  great  majority 
were,  however,  gradually  transported  to  America,  and 
German  settlements  were  founded  in  most  of  the  Brit- 
ish colonies.  Those  undertaken  in  the  South  were  not 
generally  successful.  At  Biloxi  the  Palatines  died  by 
hundreds  of  yellow  fever,  and  in  North  Carolina  they 
were  massacred  by  the  Tuscarora  Indians.  It  was  in 


I$2  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Pennsylvania  alone  that  they  found  a  permanent  home ; 
but  here  they  prospered,  and  finally  passed  beyond  its 
borders  and  occupied  large  portions  of  adjacent  colo- 
nies. Hearing  of  their  prosperity,  large  numbers  of 
Germans  and  Swiss,  who  were  known  to  the  English 
by  the  general  name  of  "  Palatines,"  followed  them  to 
the  New  World,  and  assisted  in  laying  the  foundations 
of  the  commonwealth.  Some  of  these  brought  with 
them  considerable  sums  of  money,  while  others  were 
extremely  poor,  but  all  were  frugal  and  industrious.  In 
humility  and  patience  they  labored  to  subdue  the  wil- 
derness, and  soon  became  more  'comfortable  than  they 
could  ever  have  become  in  the  Palatinate. 

We  have  spoken  at  length  of  the  invasion  of  the 
Palatinate  and  its  consequences,  because  most  of  the 
sufferers  were  members  of  the  Reformed  Church.  The 
later  German  emigration  was  largely  Lutheran,  but  as 
late  as  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  it  was, believed 
that  the  Reformed  were  by  far  the  most  numerous  of 
the  religious  denominations  then  existing  among  the 
Germans  of  Pennsylvania.  In  that  day  of  trial  mul- 
titudes were  alienated  from  the  church  of  their  fathers, 
and  in  Germany  the  Reformed  Church  has  never 
regained  the  position  which  it  held  before  this  dread- 
ful period. 

PRESENT   STATE   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

In  1817  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  churches  of 
Prussia  were,  by  action  of  the  government,  united  into 


PRESENT   STATE   OF   THE   CHURCH.  153 

a  single  body,  to  be  known  as  the  "  Evangelical 
Church."  According  to  the  terms  of  the  union,  there 
was  to  be  no  confessional  change — individuals  were 
expected  to  remain  Reformed  or  Lutheran  as  they  had 
been  before — but  in  its  official  relations,  the  Church  of 
Prussia  was  to  be  regarded  as  a  single  organization. 
Congregations  which  declined  to  enter  the  union  were, 
of  course,  deprived  of  government  patronage.  This 
"Church  Union"  has  gradually  extended  over  Prot- 
estant Germany,  and  now  includes  the  churches  which 
were  originally  Reformed,  with  the  exception  of  a  com- 
paratively small  number  of  congregations,  collectively 
numbering  not  more  than  forty  thousand  members. 
The  Reformed  churches  in  the  Union — by  which  we 
mean  the  churches  which  still  regartd  themselves  as 
distinctively  Reformed,  though  connected  with  the 
Established  Church — have,  according  to  an  estimate  in 
the  "  Encyclopaedia  Britannica,"  a  membership  of  465- 
120;  but  from  a  computation  published  some  years  ago 
in  the  "  Reformirte  Kirchenzeitung,"  of  Erlangen,  it 
appears  that  the  actual  number  may  perhaps  amount 
to  about  one  million.  The  Reformed  element  in  the 
Evangelical  Church  of  Germany  is,  however,  much 
more  important  than  these  figures  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate. In  many  localities  the  effect  of  the  "Union"  has 
been  to  obliterate  confessional  distinctions,  and  multi- 
tudes of  Reformed  people  have  become  so  exclusively 
identified  with  the  Established  Church  that  they  can 
no  longer  be  separately  enumerated.  It  is,  however, 


154  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

acknowledged  that  a  remarkably  large  proportion  of 
recent  German  theologians  have  belonged  to  the  Re- 
formed element;  and  it  has  even  been  recently  decided 
by  the  imperial  courts  that  the  kings  of  Prussia  are  still 
to  be  regarded  as  members  of  the  Reformed  Church, 
inasmuch  as  the  union  of  the  churches  involved  no 
confessional  change.1 

A  "  Reformed  Alliance,"  including  the  various  Re- 
formed churches  of  Germany,  has  recently  been  estab- 
lished, and  held  its  first  meeting  at  Marburg,  in  August, 
1884.  It  will,  no  doubt,  accomplish  a  great  work  in 
advancing  the  interests  of  the  Church. 

The  Reformed  Church  is  established  by  law  in  Switz- 
erland, Holland  and  Scotland.  It  also  has  many  con- 
gregations in  France,  Austria-Hungary,  Poland,  and  the 
German  provinces  of  Russia.  The  Dutch  colonies  have 
vigorous  Reformed  churches,  and  the  "  Boers,"  of  South 
Africa,  who  a  few  years  ago  contended  so  bravely  for 
liberty  against  the  encroachments  of  the  British,  are 
sincerely  attached  to  the  same  historic  confession.  Even 
a  superficial  account  of  the  national  and  colonial  Re- 
formed churches  would  require  at  least  a  volume. 
Like  "the  burning  bush,"  which  has  been  in  many 
lands  its  chosen  emblem,  the  Reformed  Church  has 
passed  through  the  fire  but  is  not  consumed,  and  its 
teachings  are  still  dear  to  multitudes  of  faithful  hearts. 

1  Cuno's  "  Gedachtnissbuch  Deutscher  Fiirslen  reformirten  Eekennmis- 
ses,"  Barmen,  1884. 


BOOK  II. 

THE  REFORMED  CHURCH  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 


MICHAEL  SCHLATTER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

77^,?  Reformed  Church  in  America — A  German  Reformed 
Pioneer —  William  Penrf  s  Mother — Earliest  German  Reformed 
Ministers  in  America. 

THE  Hollanders  deserve  the  credit  of  having  been  the 
first  to  establish  the  Reformed  Church  in  this  country. 
Leaving  out  of  consideration  their  missions  in  the  Dutch 
West  India  Islands,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that 
religious  services  were  held  on  the  site  of  the  present 
city  of  New  York  soon  after  the  first  settlement  of  New 
Amsterdam,  in  1614.  It  has,  therefore,  been  plausibly 
asserted  that  "  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  was  taught  in 
America  before  the  Pilgrims  landed  on  Plymouth  Rock." 
In  1628  the  Rev.  Jonas  Michaelius  arrived  at  New 
Amsterdam  from  the  West  Indies,  and  organized  a  con- 
gregation of  more  than  fifty  communicants.  In  1633  he 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Everardus  Bogardus,  whose 
fierce  conflicts  with  several  Dutch  governors  became 
historical. 

From  the  earliest  settlement  there  were  some  Germans 
among  the  inhabitants  of  New  York.  These  generally 
soon  acquired  the  language  of  the  people  among  whom 
they  dwelt,  and  connected  themselves  with  the  Dutch 
churches.  In  the  course  of  time,  when  the  number  of 


158  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

German  emigrants  became  greater,  many  German 
churches  were  founded.  The  history  of  these  churches 
is  very  obscure.  Some  of  them  were  for  a  time 
connected  with  the  German  Reformed  churches  of 
Pennsylvania,  others  held  a  sort  of  filial  relation  to  the 
Dutch  Coetus,  but  the  majority  were  practically  independ- 
ent Pastor  Gebhard,  of  Claverack,  and  others,  preached 
alternately  in  German  and  Dutch.  Finally  the  greater 
part  of  this  German  material  passed  very  naturally  into 
the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  and  it  has  been  estimated 
that,  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  one-third  of 
the  members  of  the  latter  denomination  were  of  German 
extraction.  The  history  of  the  German  element  in  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church  is  certainly  worthy  of  more  at- 
tention than  it  has  hitherto  received. 

A    GERMAN    REFORMED    PIONEER. 

The  first  permanent  settlement  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Delaware  was  founded  by  a  Swedish  colony,  in  1638, 
forty-four  years  before  the  arrival  of  William  Penn.  In 
that  year  two  ships,  the  "  Bird  Griffin,"  and  the  "  Key  of 
Calmar,"  entered  the  Delaware  and  took  formal  posses- 
sion of  the  unoccupied  territory  on  its  western  bank,  in 
the  name  of  the  crown  of  Sweden.  The  expedition  was 
commanded  by  a  German  named  Peter  Minuit,  who  had 
previously  been  a  governor  of  New  Netherland.  Little 
is  known  concerning  his  early  history.  He  was  born  in 
Germany,  but  as  his  name  does  not  appear  to  be  Ger- 
man it  has  been  suggested  that  he  may  have  been  of 


A    GERMAN    REFORMED   PIONEER.  159 

Huguenot  descent.  It  is  on  record  that  he  had  been  a 
deacon  in  the  Reformed  Church  of  the  city  of  Wesel. 
The  office  of  deacon  was,  in  those  days,  highly  regarded 
— as  it  deserved  to  be — and  the  fact  that  he  had  held  it  is 
placed  beyond  doubt  by  cotemporary  evidence.1 

Minuit  deserves  a  higher  position  in  history  than  has 
been  generally  accorded  him.  It  was  he  who  inaugur- 
ated the  policy  of  fair  dealing  with  the  Indians,  which 
was  afterwards  continued  and  developed  by  William 
Penn ;  and  though  the  greater  part  of  his  settlement  was 
situated  within  the  limits  of  the  present  State  of  Dela- 
ware, it  was  he  who  purchased  from  the  natives  all  the 
land  between  Cape  Henlopen  and  the  falls  of  Trenton. 
This  treaty  was  never  broken.  William  Penn,  on  his 
arrival,  no  doubt  bought  land  from  the  Indians;  but 
he  had  no  occasion  to  obtain  possession  in  this  way 
pf  the  land  on  which  he  founded  Philadelphia.  It  had 
been  included  in  the  original  Swedish  purchase,  and 
though  he  had  received  Proprietary  rights  from  the 
English  government,  he  purchased  the  land  from  the 
Swedes,  who  were  its  prior  occupants. 

The  subsequent  history  of  Minuit  is  not  generally 
known,  and  very  recently  a  writer  in  one  of  our  most 
prominent  magazines  ventured  to  assert  that  he  died 
at  Wilmington.  The  facts  have,  however,  been  recov- 

1  See  "  Kapp's  History  of  Immigration,"  and  Broadhead's  "  History  of 
New  York."  In  the  original  Dutch  documents,  transcribed  by  the  late 
Mr.  Joseph  Mickly,  it  is  also  stated  that  Minuit  was  a  deacon  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  of  Wesel. 


l6O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

ered  from  the  Dutch  records,  and  are  thus  given  in  an 
article  on  "The  Founding  of  New  Sweden,"  in  the 
"Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History:"  "On  the  return 
voyage  Minuit  visited  the  West  Indian  island  of  St. 
Christopher,  and  obtained  a  cargo  of  tobacco.  He  was 
already  prepared  to  sail  away,  when  he  and  his  captain 
were  invited  to  pay  a  visit  to  a  Dutch  ship  which  lay 
near  by,  named  '  Het  vliegende  Hert.'  (The  Flying 
Deer).  While  the  guests  were  on  board  the  foreign 
vessel,  there  arose  a  violent  hurricane,  'such  as  occur 
in  the  West  Indies  every  six  or  seven  years.'  All  the 
ships  in  the  roadstead,  to  the  number  of  twenty,  were 
driven  out  to  sea;  some  lost  their  masts  or  were 
otherwise  badly  damaged,  and  some  absolutely  foun- 
dered. Among  the  latter,  in  all  probability,  was  the 
ship  in  which  Minuit  was,  for  nothing  more  was  seen  of 
him  or  of  that  vessel." 

Such  was  the  sad  fate  of  the  man  who,  in  the  absence 
of  information  to  the  contrary,  may  be  regarded  as  the 
earliest  pioneer  of  the  German  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States.  The  Swedish  colony  which  he  led  was, 
of  course,  Lutheran,  but  there  were  many  Germans  and 
Hollanders  in  the  country  before  it  came  under  the 
dominion  of  the  crown  of  England.  "  These,"  says  the 
historian,  Proud,  "intermarried  with  the  Swedes,  and 
in  course  of  time  became  one  religious  organization; 
but  even  at  the  time  of  Penn's  arrival  there  was  still  a 
Reformed  Dutch  place  of  worship  at  New  Castle." 


WILLIAM  PENN'S  MOTHER.  161 

The  mother  of  William  Penn  was,  in  her  youth,  a 
member  of  the  Reformed  Church.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  merchant  of  Rotterdam,  named  Jasper,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  a  woman  of  great  strength  of  mind. 
Though  after  her  marriage  she  conformed  to  the  Church 
of  England,  her  piety  was  of  a  type  that  was  most  usual 
in  her  native  country.  Her  son  was  induced,  by  the 
cold  formality  of  the  Church  of  that  period,  to  ally  him- 
self with  a  sect  which  occupied  the  opposite  extreme; 
but  he  always  thankfully  acknowledged  his  obligations 
to  the  early  teachings  of  his  mother.  In  his  early 
manhood  he  visited  France,  and  placed  himself  under 
the  instruction  of  the  celebrated  Reformed  theologian, 
Moses  Amyrault.  It  is  well  known  that  the  views  of 
Penn  were  broader  and  less  fanatical  than  those  of  the 
founders  of  the  sect  with  which  he  became  connected. 
May  we  not  suppose  that  this  fact  was  owing,  in  part, 
at  least,  to  instruction  derived  from  the  sources  we  have 
indicated? 

EARLIEST    REFORMED    MINISTERS    IN    AMERICA. 

It  was  long  supposed  that  either  the  Rev.  George 
Michael  Weiss,  or  the  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm,  was 
the  earliest  German  Reformed  minister  in  this  country, 
and  recent  researches  assigned  priority  to  the  latter. 
These  men  were  probably  the  earliest  Reformed  minis- 
ters in  Pennsylvania,  and  by  their  self-denying  labors 
laid  the  foundations  on  which  the  Reformed  Church 
in  the  United  States  is  built.  There  were,  however, 


162  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

two  ministers  whose  surnames  were  very  similar,  who 
labored  at  an  earlier  date,  one  to  the  north,  and  the 
other  to  the  south  of  Pennsylvania. 

John  Frederick  Hager,  a  Reformed  minister,  accom- 
panied a  body  of  2,138  Palatines  who,  in  May,  1709, 
arrived  in  London  on  their  way  to  America.  They 
were  sent  to  New  York  by  Queen  Anne,  and  Hager 
ministered  to  the  Reformed  at  East  and  West  Camp, 
as  Joshua  Kocherthal  did  to  the  Lutherans.1  He  also 
visited  and  ministered  to  the  Reformed  who  removed 
to  the  Schoharie  and  Mohawk  settlements,  and  it  is 
almost  certain  that  he  founded  the  German  Reformed 
church  of  Schoharie.  In  Corwin's  "  Manual,"  "  Hen- 
drick  Hagar"  is  said  to  have  been  the  pastor  at  Scho- 
harie and  East  and  West  Camp  as  early  as  1711,  but 
this  name  is  evidently  erroneously  written.  Dr.  Har- 
baugh  quotes  the  fact  from  the  diary  of  the  celebrated 
Indian  interpreter,  Conrad  Weiser,  that  the  latter  was 
married,  November  22,  1720,  in  Schoharie,  N.  Y.,  by 
a  Reformed  minister  named  John  Frederick  Heger,  but 
has  no  further  information  concerning  him.  We  regret 

o  o 

that  so  little  is  known  of  the  career  of  this  early  min- 
ister; but  if  any  one  in  the  region  in  which  he  labored 

1  From  a  "  List  of  Clergy  Ordained  for  the  American  Colonies,"  pub- 
lished in  the  London  "Notes  and  Queries,"  March,  1884,  it  appears 
that  John  Frederick  Hager,  "among  the  Palatines,  New  York,"  was 
ordained  -December  20,  1709.  The  rite  was  performed  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel,  but  no  further 
particulars  are  given. 


EARLIEST  REFORMED  MINISTERS  IN  AMERICA.          103 

should  interest  himself  in  the  matter,  it  ought  certainly 
to  be  possible  to  discover  more. 

Henry  Hoeger,  a  Reformed  minister,  appears  to  have 
accompanied  De  Graffenried's  Swiss  colony,  which,  in 
1710,  founded  New  Berne,  North  Carolina.  When  the 
settlement  had  been  scattered  by  the  Tuscarora  Indians, 
he  accompanied  about  fifty  of  the  survivors  to  Virginia, 
where  they  were  employed  by  Governor  Spottisvvoode. 
A  cotemporary  document  preserved  in  "  Perry's  Histor- 
ical Collections"  relates  "That  there  went  out  with  the 
first  twelve  families  one  minister  named  Henry  Hoeger,  a 
very  sober,  honest  man,  of  about  75  years  of  age.  But  he 
being  likely  to  be  past  service  in  a  short  time,  they  have 
empowered  Mr.  Jacob  Christofle  Zollikoffer,  of  St.  Gall  in 
Switzerland,  to  go  into  Europe,  there  to  obtain  if  possible 
some  contributions  from  pious  and  charitable  Christians 
toward  the  building  of  their  church  and  the  bringing 
over  with  him  of  a  young  German  minister  to  assist  the 
aforesaid  Mr.  Hoeger  in  the  ministry  of  religion,  and  to 
succeed  him  when  he  shall  die,  and  to  get  him  ordained 
in  England  by  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop  of  London, 
and  to  bring  over  with  him  the  Liturgy  of  the  Church  of 
England,  translated  into  High  Dutch,  which  they  are 
desirous  to  use  in  the  public  worship.  They  also  seek 
the  support  of  a  minister  from  the  Venerable  Society  for 
the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel." 

These .  people,  it  is  said,  were  subsequently  organized 
into  an  Episcopal  parish,  with  the  reserved  right  to 
employ  their  own  ministers,  and  on  their  own  terms. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Pennsylvania  Pioneers — John  Philip  Boehm — George  Michael 
IVeis — John  Henry  Goetschius — John  Bartholomew  Rieger — 
Peter  Henry  Dorstius. 

IT  would  not  be  easy  to  write  a  history  of  the  Germans 
of  Pennsylvania.  The  English  colonies  were  composed 
in  a  great  measure  of  companies  whose  sentiments  were 
homogeneous,  and  who  occupied  extensive  territories 
which  they  governed  to  suit  themselves.  The  Ger- 
mans, on  the  other  hand,  had  little  in  common  except 
their  language.  They  came  over,  not  as  colonies,  but 
as  individuals,  seeking  a  refuge  from  oppression  and 
misery,  and  desiring  only  to  be  permitted  to  earn  an 
honest  livelihood.  When  Governor  Gordon  expressed 
the  fear  that  "  the  Germans  might  give  Pennsylvania  law 
and  language,"  and  when  Archbishop  Hering  suggested 
that  "  they  might,  by  making  common  cause  with  the 
French  on  the  Ohio,  drive  the  English  out  of  the 
colony,"  they  did  not  know  the  people  of  whom  they 
spoke.  They  could  not  even  understand  the  fact  that 
the  Germans  were  divided  among  themselves  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  render  concerted  action  impossible. 

In  order  to  form  a  proper  conception  of  the  state  of 
affairs  at  this  early  period,  it  is  necessary  to  remember, 

first  of  all,  the  broad  distinction  which  then  existed  be- 

(164) 


EARLY    CHURCHES.  165 

tween  churches  and  sects.  The  sects  were  first  in  the 
field.  Prominent  among  these  were  the  Mennonites,  but 
there*  were  also  Dunkers,  Schvvenkfelders,  and  sects 
which  have  now  become  extinct.  Francis  D.  Pastorius, 
who  has  been  immortalized  by  the  poet  Whittier,  as 
"The  Pennsylvania  Pilgrim,"  and  who  is  generally  re- 
garded as  the  pioneer  of  the  German  emigration  to 
America,  was  in  Germany  a  mystic,  and  in  America  a 
Quaker. 

The  "church-people" — Lutherans  and  Reformed — ap- 
peared on  the  scene,  at  a  somewhat  later  period.  They 
came  from  widely-separated  regions,  bringing  with  them 
sectional  prejudices  and  peculiarities,  and  years  passed 
before  each  of  these  denominations  became  a  homo- 
geneous people. 

We  fear  it  is  now  impossible  to  determine  with  accu- 
racy the  time  of  the  establishment  of  the  earliest  Ger- 
man Reformed  church  in  Pennsylvania.  It  appears 
from  the  records  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  church  at 
Churchville,  Bucks  county — generally  called  in  old 
records  "  Southampton  "  or  "  Neshaminy  " — that  the  Rev. 
Paulus  Van  Vleck,  who  was  then  pastor  of  that  con- 
gregation, organized  a  church  at  Whitemarsh  on  the 
4th  of  June,  1710.  This  was,  however,  a  Dutch  church, 
and  its  historical  connection  with  the  German  Re- 
formed church  of  Whitemarsh  has  not  been  established. 
The  fact  seems  to  be  that  the  people,  in  various  local- 
ities, met  and  organized  congregations,  without  waiting 
for  the  appearance  of  regular  ministers.  The  most 


1 66  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

intelligent  man  in  the  community  was  chosen  to  con- 
duct the  services,  which  generally  consis-ted  in  reading 
prayers  from  a  European  liturgy,  and  a  sermon* from 
some  approved  collection.  It  has  been  usual  to  regard 
the  Skippack  church1  (now  extinct),  in  Montgomery 
county,  as  the  oldest  Reformed  church  in  Pennsyl- 
vania— though  a  strong  plea  has  been  advanced  in 
favor  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia — and  to  fix  the 
date  of  its  organization  as  1726  or  17277  but  it 
now  appears  that  the  true  date  must  be  sought  at  a 
somewhat  earlier  period.  From  an  interesting  memo- 
rial addressed,  in  1728,  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  by 
the  Reformed  churches  at  Falkner  Swamp,  Skippack 
and  Whitemarsh,  it  appears  that  the  Rev.  John  Philip 
Boehm  began  preaching  at  these  places  at  least  as  early 
as  1720.  Within  ten  years  of  this  date,  nearly  a  dozen 
churches  were  founded,  and  it  seems  impossible  to 
ascribe  priority  to  any  one  of  them. 

It  may  be  well  to  give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  career 
of  the  ministers  who  were  first  in  the  field,  and  who 
may  therefore  be  regarded  as  the  pioneers  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  Pennsylvania. 

John  Philip  Boehm  had  been   a  schoolmaster  in   the 

1  Rev  Paulus  Van  Yleck  visited  Skippack,  May  29,  1710,  and  baptized 
ten  children;   but  it  does  not  appear  that  he  organized  a  congregation. 
See  Records  of  Neshaminy  Church. 

2  The   Reformed  church  on  Race  street,  below  Fourth,  Philadelphia, 
was   organized  in   1727.     The  elJers  then  elected  were   Peter  Lecolie, 
Johann  Wilhelm  Roerig,  Htinrich  Weller,  and  Georg  Peter  Hil'.engass. 


JOHN    PHILIP    BOEHM.  1 5/ 

city  of  Worms,  and  having  been  persecuted  by  the 
Roman  Catholics,  had  come  to  America,  not  later  than 
1720.  In  the  memorial  to  which  we  have  referred,  it 
is  stated  that  shortly  after  his  arrival  he  had  been 
appointed  "  Reader,"  and  had  served  in  this  capacity 
for  five  years.  Then  he  was  requested  to  assume  the 
office  of  pastor,  and  accepted  the  call,  as  there  was  no- 
one  at  hand  who  was  so  well  qualified  for  the  orifice. 
At  this  time,  it  is  said,  his  congregations  were  not 
aware  of  the  irregularity  of  their  course.  For  three 
years  Boehm  thus  continued  to  serve  the  churches  at 
Falkner  Swamp,  Skippack  and  Whitemarsh,  without 
regular  ordination.  In  the  meantime,  however,  the 
Rev.  Geo.  Michael  Weis  had  arrived  in  Pennsylvania, 
and,  as  the  latter  was  recognized  as  a  regularly  ordained 
minister,  there  was  a  division  among  the  people.  Some 
adhered  to  their  former  pastor,  while  others  insisted 
that  he  had  no  right  to  preach.  Boehm  himself  was 
convinced  of  the  irregularity  of  his  course,  and  in  1728, 
his  three  congregations  requested  the  Dutch  Reformed 
churches  of  New  York  to  ordain  him.  The  matter  was 
referred  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  and  after  consid- 
erable delay  the  request  was  granted,  and  Boehm  was 
ordained,  in  New  York,  on  the  23d  of  November,  1729, 
by  Rev.  Henricus  Boel  and  Gualterius  Du  Bois. 
From  this  time  forth  Boehm  continued  in  the  most  inti- 
mate relations  with  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  and 
Weiss  stood  by  his  side  as  a  faithful  coadjutor. 

Father  Boehm  resided  in  Whitpain  township,  Mont- 


1 68  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

gomery  county,  and  is  said  to  have  preached  for  some 
time  in  his  own  house.  From  this  assembly  sprang  the 
congregation  which  is  now  known  as  "  Boehm's  Church." 
He  also  preached  in  Philadelphia,  and  made  extensive 
missionary  journeys.  While  preaching  in  Philadelphia, 
he  became  involved  in  a  controversy  with  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf,  and  published  several  pamphlets. 

Though  not  highly  educated,  Mr.  Boehm  was  not 
ignorant,  as  was  sometimes  intimated  by  his  opponents. 
He  was  withal  a  man  of  extraordinary  energy,  and  his 
extensive  influence  was  fully  recognized  by  the  civil 
authorities.  In  consequence  of  the  rapid  increase  in  the 
value  of  certain  lands  which  he  had  purchased  he  be- 
came very  wealthy,  but  this  fact  did  not  in  the  least  inter- 
fere with  his  work  in  extending  the  church.  When 
Schlatter  arrived,  he  found  in  him  a  faithful  assistant, 
and  he  always  refers  to  him  with  the  most  profound  re- 
spect. Mr.  Boehm  died  suddenly,  on  May  ist,  1749, 
after  having  on  the  previous  day  administered  the  Holy 
Supper  to  the  Egypt  congregation. 

George  Michael  Weis  or  Weiss  was  born  about  A.  D. 
1700,  at  Stebbeck,  in  the  valley  of  the  Neckar,  in  Ger- 
many, and  died  about  1763,  at  New  Goshenhoppen, 
Montgomery  county,  Pa.  He  was  educated  at  Heidel- 
berg, and  came  to  America  as  an  ordained  minister,  in 
1727,  in  company  with  about  four  hundred  colonists, 
most  of  whom  appear  to  have  been  members  of  the  Re- 
formed Church.  He  organized  the  Reformed  Church  of 
Philadelphia,  and  also  preached  at  Skippack. 


GEORGE    MICHAEL   WEIS.  169 

In  1729  Mr.  Weis  went  to  Europe,  in  company  with 
Elder  Jacob  Reiff,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  money 
and  good  books  for  the  Reformed  Churches  of  Philadel- 
phia and  Skippack.  As  it  was  somewhat  doubtful 
whether  Mr.  Weis  would  return  to  America,  the  churches 
granted  a  power  of  attorney  to  Mr.  Reiff,  to  receive  all 
moneys  and  otherwise  to  conduct  the  mission  according 
to  his  best  judgment.  On  his  return  to  America  the 
latter  delayed  to  make  a  settlement,  and  this  led  to  a 
protracted  suit  in  chancery.  The  matter  was  not  finally 
arranged  until  after  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Schlatter,  who  re- 
ceived from  Mr.  Reiff  a  balance  of  about  six  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  after  which  he  published  3,  card  expressing 
his  entire  confidence  in  Mr.  Reiff  s  integrity. 

It  is  difficult,  at  this  late  date,  to  form  a  correct  judg- 
ment on  all  the  particulars  of  the  "  Reiff  case."  After 
having  examined  a  large  number  of  legal  documents  we 
may,  however,  venture  to  assert  that,  though  Mr.  Reiff 
may  have  been  careless  in  keeping  his  accounts,  there  is 
no  evidence  of  dishonesty.  A  part  of  the  money  col- 
lected was,  perhaps  imprudently,  invested  by  him  in 
merchandise  which,  he  believed,  could  be  sold  to  advan- 
tage in  Philadelphia,  for  the  benefit  of  the  churches.  In 
consequence  of  a  series  of  mishaps,  which  we  have  no 
room  to  relate,  these  goods  were  for  several  years  de- 
tained in  a  British  custom-house,  and  could  be  released 
only  by  the  payment  of  a  large  sum  for  duties  and  stor- 
age. This  detention  naturally  prevented  an  early  settle- 
ment. We  do  not  know  the  exact  amount  collected ; 


I/O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

but  Mr.  ReifTs  opponents  did  not  charge  him  with  hav- 
ing received  more,  at  the  utmost,  than  from  fifteen  hun- 
dred to  two  thousand  dollars  in  our  present  money.  As 
the  churches  had  promised  to  pay  all  the  expenses  of  the 
mission,  and  as  Mr.  Reiff  also  claimed  credit  for  .£150, 
previously  advanced  by  him  towards  the  erection  of  the 
church  at  Skippack,  it  is  evident  that  the  sum  remaining 
after  these  deductions  were  made,  cannot  have  been  very 
large.  The  people  had,  however,  heard  exaggerated 
rumors  concerning  the  amount  collected,  and  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  persuade  them  that  the  churches  had  received 
their  dues. 

Mr.  Weis  returned  to  America  in  1731,  leaving  Mr. 
Reiff  in  Germany,  where  he  remained  one  year  longer. 
On  his  return,  Mr.  Weis  settled  among  the  Germans 
of  New  York,  laboring  chiefly  in  Schoharie  and  Dutch- 
ess  counties.  In  1746  he'  was  compelled  to  flee,  in 
consequence  of  Indian  depredations,  and  found  a  ref- 
uge in  Pennsylvania.  Here  he  took  charge  of  the  con- 
gregations of  Old  and  New  Goshenhoppen  and  Great 
Swamp,  where  he  labored  faithfully  until  his  death. 

JoJin  Henry  Goetschius  (or  Goetschy)  was  a  native 
of  Zurich,  in  Switzerland.  Concerning  his  personal 
history,  we  know  very  little.  He  was,  however,  care- 
ful to  provide  the  churches  which  he  served  with  con- 
gregational records,  in  which  his  name  has  been  pre- 
served. 

In  1730,  he  was  pastor  at  New  Goshenhoppen,  and 
entered  on  the  title-page  of  the  church  record  the 


JOHN    HENRY    GOETSCHIUS.  I/I 

names  of  the  congregations  which  he  simultaneously 
served,  viz.,  Skippack,  Old  Goshenhoppen,  New  Gosh- 
enhoppen,  Swamp,  Saucon,  Egypt,  Macedonia,  Mosil- 
lem,  Oley,  Bern  and  Tulpehocken.  What  an  enormous 
diocese!  In  the  region  which  he  occupied,  there  are 
at  present,  probably,  more  than  fifty  Reformed  ministers. 

In  1737,  Goetschius  was  ordained,  for  convenience 
sake,  by  the  Presbyterian  Synod  of  Philadelphia.  He 
had  previously,  it  seems,  been  what  was  known  as  a 
candidates,  though  with  the  right  to  administer  the 
sacraments.  In  1739,  his  name  disappears  from  the 
records,  and  it  was  supposed  by  Dr.  Harbaugh  that 
he  must  have  died  about  this  time. 

The  late  Prof.  I.  D.  Rupp,  however,  once  informed 
us  that  he  had  documents  by  means  of  which  his  his- 
tory could  be  traced  much  further.  Goetschius,  he 
said,  returned  to  Europe,  and  a  few  years  later  came  a 
second  time  to  America,  bringing  his  family  with  him. 
He  had  a  son,  John  Henry,  who  came  to  this  country, 
and  was  for  many  years  pastor  at  Hackensack,  N.  J. 
Another  son,  John  Mauritius,  was  at  first  a  physician, 
but  subsequently  became  pastor  of  the  German  Re- 
formed church  of  Schoharie,  N.  Y.  The  elder  Goet- 
schius, after  his  return  to  America,  settled  on  Long 
Island,  and  remained  there  for  several  years.  The 

1  According  to  Corwin's  "Manual,"  John  Henry  Goetschius,  Jr.,  was 
born  in  1718,  at  Liguria,  Switzerland.  If  this  date  is  correct,  he  was 
but  thirteen  years  old  when  his  father  began  to  labor  in  Pennsylvania. 
Liguria,  we  presume,  is  a  misprint  for  Tiguria,  the  Latin  name  of  Zurich. 


172  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

time  of  his  death  is  unknown.  Several  of  his  descend- 
ants have  been  ministers  of  the  Reformed  (Dutch) 
Church. 

John  Bartholomew  Ricgcr  was  born  in  the  Palatinate, 
in  1707,  and  died  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  in  1769.  He  was 
an  educated  physician,  who  had  studied  at  Heidelberg. 
The  time  and  place  of  his  ordination  are  now  unknown, 
but  he  was  one  of  the  earliest  pastors  of  the  church  at 
Lancaster,  and  was  present  at  the  organization  of  the 
first  German  Reformed  Synod  held  in  this  country. 
Very  little  is  known  concerning  his  personal  career, 
but  he  was  the  founder  of  many  churches  in  Lancas- 
ter and  Lebanon  counties.1 

1  The  following  communication  appears  in  Christopher  Saur's  paper 
for  September  16,  1750: 

WARNING  FROM  LANCASTER. 

Ministers  of  unstained  character,  coming  to  Pennsylvania  with  proper 
testimonials  and  good  intentions,  are  welcome.  The  Lord  has  provided 
work  and  bread  for  them  in  this  country. 

On  the  contrary,  the  following  is  generally  the  fate  of  vagabond  priests 
in  Pennsylvania:  They  are  to  wise  men  of  the  world  a  laughing-stock; 
to  wise  Christians  an  abomination;  and  to  those  who  receive  them  a 
burden  and  a  curse — the  special  delight  of  Satan. 

We  warn  all  well-disposed  church-people  to  beware,  because  among 
the  multitude  of  recent  immigrants  there  are  some  degraded  men,  deposed 
babblers,  who  come  hither  because  they  imagine  the  people  are  stupid, 
ministers  few  in  number,  and  the  Church  without  a  "  fence,"  i.  e.  without 
a  bishop;  and  that  therefore  there  is  no  one  who  can  call  them  to  account, 
or  say:  Papa,  quid  fads?  that  is,  "  Reverend  sir,  what  are  you  doing?" 

Whoever  has  by  his  evil  conduct  become  useless  to  the  Church  in 
Europe,  and  has  therefore  been  deprived  of  his  office  and  subsistence, 
can  do  no  good  by  assuming  a  pastorate  in  America. 


PETER    HENRY    DORSTIUS.  1/3 

Peter  Henry  Dorstius  was  from  about  1731  to  1748, 
pastor  of  the  only  Dutch  Reformed  charge  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. It  was  situated  on  the  Neshaminy,  in  Bucks 
county,  and  was  generally  called  Southampton.  He 
married  Jane  Hogeland,  a  daughter  of  Derrick  Hoge- 
land,  and  had  three  children.  In  consequence  of  his 
proximity  to  the  German  churches,  he  was  directed 
to  exercise  supervision  over  them,  and  to  report  to 
the  Church  of  Holland.  On  September  23,  1740,  he 
visited  the  Lower  Saucon  church,  and  there  baptized 

It  is  evident  that  where  such  men  raise  their  hearths  and  altars,  there 
come  dissatisfaction,  mockery,  envy,  hatred  and  contention  among  peo- 
ple who  had  previously  lived  together  in  peace  and  harmony. 

The  Reformed  congregation  in  Lancaster  has  experienced  all  this,  and 
by  too  readily  admitting  to  the  sacred  office  such  deposed  and  excom- 
municated men,  has  alienated  the  flower  of  its  membership  (that  is,  it  has 
disgraced  itself),  thus  losing  the  support  of  men  who  might  in  their 
measure  have  proved  as  salt  to  the  entire  community. 

May  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  grant  to  our  poor  people  and  their  dear 
children  preachers  and  teachers  according  to  his  own  heart ! 

Possibly  more  hereafter.     Let  not  this  be  unkindly  interpreted. 

J.  B.  RlEGER,  Kef.  Minister  and  President  of  Coetus. 

In  a  communication  to  the  same  paper,  October  16,  1750,  Mr.  Rieger 
reminds  those  who  oppose  the  exercise  of  discipline  in  the  Reformed 
churches,  that  the  duty  of  the  Church  is  defined  in  the  Heidelberg  Cat- 
echism, which  declares  in  unmistakable  language  that  the  ungodly  are 
not  to  be  admitted  to  the  table  of  the  Lord.  This  is  the  earliest  formal 
recognition  of  the  authority  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  by  a  German 
Reformed  minister  of  this  country,  which  we  remember  to  have  seen. 

Under  date  of  January  2,  1750,  Mr.  Rieger  contributes  some  verses 
to  the  same  periodical,  which  may  perhaps  be  regarded  as  the  earnest 
poem  published  by  a  German  Reformed  minister  in  this  country. 


1/4  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

several  children  belonging  to  members  of  the  Egypt 
congregation.  In  the  record  of  the  latter  church,  he 
is  called  "  Herr  Inspektor1  Peter  Heinrich  Torschius." 
Misled  by  this  erroneous  orthography,  Dr.  Harbaugh 
renders  the  name  "Torsihius,"  and  this  name  wrongly 
appears  in  several  lists  of  deceased  ministers. 

In  1743,  Dorstius  was  made  the  bearer  of  a  highly 
important  letter  from  the  Synods  of  Holland,  to  the 
Presbyterian  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  inquiring  whether 
it  would  be  practicable  to  consolidate  the  Presbyterians, 
Dutch  Reformed  and  German  Reformed,  in  America, 
into  a  single  body.  In  their  reply,  the  Presbyterians 
tacitly  declined  to  enter  into  such  a  union,  but  "de- 
clared their  willingness  to  unite  with  the  Reformed  in 
all  efforts  to  promote  the  common  interests  of  religion." 

Dorstius  was  not  present  at  the  organization  of  the 
Synod,  but  sent  a  letter  of  sympathy.  The  fact  is,  he 
was  breaking  down,  physically  and  morally.2  He  with- 
drew from  his  pastoral  charge  in  1748,  and  probably 
died  soon  afterwards.  In  1755,  the  Coetus  made  an 
appropriation  for  the  reli  f  of  his,  widow. 

1  This  title  seems  to  indicate  that  Dorstius  was  recognized  as  "  Mis- 
sionary Superintendent,"  in  consequence  of  his  commission  from  the 
Church  of  Holland.  This  office  was  subsequently  held  by  Weis  and 
Schlatter. 

2 See  "  Pennsylvania  Gazette"  for  June  pth  and  June  16,  1748,  pre- 
served in  the  Philadelphia  Library. 


CHAPTER   III. 

Peter  Miller — Tulpehocken — The  Dunkers — Conrad  Beis- 
sel  and  "  The  Ephrata  Brethren" — Beissel's  Visit  to  Tulpe- 
hocken— Miller  as  a  Monk. 

NEAR  the  little  village  of  Ephrata,  in  Lancaster 
county,  Pennsylvania,  there  may  still  be  seen  a  cluster 
of  ancient  edifices,  which  are  all  that  remain  of  the 
once  celebrated. cloister  of  the  "Order  of  the  Solitary." 
In  the  adjacent  church-yard  rest  the  remains  of  a  man 
who  was  once  a  Reformed  minister,  but  who  turned 
aside  to  become  a  member  and  leader  of  that  mystical 
and  fanatical  brotherhood. 

John  Peter^  Miller  was  born  in  the  district  of  Lau- 
tern,  in  the  Palatinate,  in  the  year  1710.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  Heidelberg,  where  Weis  and  Rieger  were  his 
fellow-students.  In  1730  he  came  to  America  under 
the  auspices  of  the  church  authorities  of  Heidelberg. 
He  was  probably  what  would  now  be  called  a  Licen- 
tiate, but  was  too  young  to  receive  ordination.  As 
there  was  no  ecclesiastical  body  in  the  Reformed 
Church  of  this  country  which  could  confer  this  rite, 
he  was  ordained  soon  after  his  arrival  by  the  Presby- 
terian Synod  of  Philadelphia.  The  Rev.  Jedediah  An- 
drews, a  member  of  the  latter  body,  has  left  on  record 
his  impression  of  Miller's  extraordinary  scholarship. 

(i75) 


176  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

"He   speaks  Latin,"  he   says,  "as  well   as  we   do   our 
vernacular  tongue." 

TULPEHOCKEN. 

In  1731  Miller  became  pastor  of  the  Reformed  church 
at  Tulpehocken.  This  was  then  a  somewhat  isolated 
region,  which  had  been  settled  in  a  very  curious  man- 
ner. The  pioneers  had  not  come  from  the  east,  but 
from  the  North.  They  were  some  of  the  people  who, 
about  1709,  had  settled  in  the  colony  of  New  York, 
at  the  invitation  of  Queen  Anne. 

Ignorant  of  the  language  and  ways  of  the  country, 
they  had,  in  New  York,  become  the  prey  of  dishonest 
men  in  high  station,  and  a  great  part  of  the  lands 
which  they  had  rendered  fertile  by  their  toil  was 
taken  from  them  on  the  pretext  of  some  informality 
in  the  title.  Having  retaliated  by  beating  the  officers 
of  the  crown,  who  were  sent  to  dispossess  them,  they 
had  rendered  themselves  liable  to  indictment.  At  this 
time  they  received  an  invitation  from  Governor  Keith 
to  settle  in  Pennsylvania,  and  a  company  of  them 
entered  the  wilderness  in  search  of  their  future  home. 
Reaching  the  Susquehanna,  they  built  rafts,  and  on 
them  descended  that  magnificent  river  until  they 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Swatara.  Ascending  the 
latter  stream,  they  came  to  the  beautiful  region  which 
was  known  by  the  Indian  name  of  Tulpehocken. 

For  four  years,  Miller  preached  to  the  Reformed 
people  of  this  place.  We  have  no  particulars  concern- 
ing his  ministry,  but  no  doubt  he  met  with  many  dis- 


THE    DUNKERS.  177 

couragements.  In  the  meantime  a  mystical  brother- 
hood had  established  itself  at  Ephrata,  and  offered 
peace  to  all  who  withdrew  from  the  world,  to  serve 
the  Lord  in  silence  and  hope.  Concerning  the  sin- 
cerity of  these  people,  there  could  be  no  doubt.  They 
had  voluntarily  renounced  all  worldly  ambition,  and 
had  submitted  themselves  to  a  monastic  rule  which, 
for  strictness,  could  hardly  be  equalled  in  the  Church 
of  Rome.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  Miller  was 
familiar,  before  he  came  to  America,  with  the  religious 
movements  \vhich  had  finally  resulted  in  this  phenom- 
enon, and  had  been  to  some  extent  influenced  by 
them.  We  can  therefore  understand  how  it  was,  that 
when  he  was  brought  into  communication  with  the 
"  Ephrata  Brethren,"  he  was  drawn  to  them  by  an 
irresistible  influence,  so  that,  renouncing  his  career  of 
active  usefulness,  he  determined  to  spend  his  life  in 
the  retirement  of  the  cloister. 

•  The  Ephrata  society  is  known  to  have  been  an  off- 
shoot of  the  sect  which  is  called  by  its  members 
"  Brethren,"  or  "  German  Baptists,"  but  is  more  gen- 
erally known  as  "Dunkers."  This  body  in  some  re- 
spects so  closely  resembles  the  Mennonites,  that  cer- 
tain writers  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  they  must 
be  derived  from  them;  but  this  is  a  mistake,  as  will 
become  evident  when  we  briefly  consider  their  history. 

THE    DUNKERS. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  the  laws  against 


178  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

the  Separatists  were  still  rigidly  enforced  in  the  greater 
part  of  Germany.  Their  meetings  were  consequently 
held  in  obscure  places.  In  forests  or  ruined  castles 
they  met  in  secret  to  hear  the  doctrines  which  were 
forbidden  by  the  State.  Such  circumstances  had  a 
natural  tendency  to  encourage  mystery  and  fanaticism. 
Teachers  appeared  who  claimed  to  be  divinely  inspired, 
and  who  perhaps  unconsciously  clothed  their  platitudes 
in  mysterious  language.  The  great  master  of  the 
mystics  of  the  seventeenth  century  had  been  Jacob 
Boehme,  who  is  sometimes  called  "the  inspired  shoe- 
maker of  Gorlitz."  His  writings — and  especially  his 
"  Morgenrothe " — were  well  suited  to  the  taste  of  their 
age,  and  were  studied  by  learned  and  unlearned.  To 
many  of  the  Separatists  they  came  with  all  the  force 
of  a  divine  revelation,  and  they  unhesitatingly  accepted 
them  as  a  key  and  commentary  to  the  sacred  Scrip- 
tures. Though  the  disciples  could  not  fathom  the 
meaning  of  the  master,  they  had  at  least  the  con- 
sciousness of  standing  on  the  verge  of  a  great  mys- 
tery, and  imagined  that  through  the  darkness  they 
could  catch  glimpses  of  the  "morning-redness"  that 
heralded  the  everlasting  day. 

In  various  places  throughout  Germany,  and  in  other 
countries,  circles  were  formed  for  the  study  of  the 
Word  of  God  with  the  aid  afforded  by  the  writings  of 
Boehme.  The  most  important  of  these  was  the  "  Phil- 
adelphian  Society,"  which,  in  time,  became  the  fruit- 
ful mother  of  sects.  Among  the  latter,  we  mav  men- 


THE    MYSTICS.  1/9 

tion  the  "Inspired"  (die  Inspirirteri),  Ronsdorfers,  Eller- 
ians,  and  others,  which  were  subsequently  transplanted 
to  Pennsylvania,  but  failed  to  grow  on  unaccustomed 
soil.  All  these  sects  regarded  their  leaders  as  directly 
inspired,  or  illuminated  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  increasing  tendency  towards  sectarianism  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  the  civil  authorities,  and  in  sev- 
eral countries  decrees  of  banishment  were  issued  against 
"the  mystics."  It  happened,  however,  that  there  were 
several  small  districts  where  the  ruling  families  sym- 
pathized with  them,  and  here  they  found  a  refuge. 
The  most  important  of  these  places  was  Witgenstein, 
which  consisted  of  two  districts — Sayn-Witgenstein- 
Witgenstein  and  Sayn-Witgenstein-Berleburg  —  which 
were  governed  by  branches  of  the  same  noble  family. 
They  are  now  united,  and  form  the  district  of  Witgen- 
stein, in  the  Prussian  province  of  Westphalia.  The 
capital  of  the  former  district  was  Laasphe,  and  of  the 
latter  Berleburg.  In  the  former  were  the  villages  of 
Sassamanshausen,  Schwarzenau  on  the  Eder,  and  ElhofF, 
which  became  celebrated  in  the  religious  annals  of  the 
last  century. 

Count  Henry  Albert,  of  Sayn-Witgenstein-Witgen- 
stein,  who  ruled  from  1698  to  1724,  was  a  member  of 
the  Philadelphian  society,  and  became  the  patron  of 
sectarians  of  every  kind.  He  had  three  sisters  who 
went  so  far  as  to  renounce  their  rank  and  to  devote 
themselves  to  mystical  studies.  The  Berleburg  family 
was  no  less  fanatical.  The  Countess  Hedwig  Sophia 


ISO  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

gathered  around  her  the  company  of .  men  who  pub- 
lished the  "  Berleburg  Bible,"  in  eight  folio  volumes, 
which  is  a  real  storehouse  of  the  German  mysticism  of 
the  last  century. 

Count  Carl  Gustav,  a  brother  of  Count  Henry  Albert, 
disapproved  of  the  mysticism  of  his  relatives.  In  for- 
mally denouncing  them  to  the  imperial  authorities,  he 
said :  "  They  live  in  contempt  of  the  Holy  Sacraments, 
denounce  the  regular  ministry,  overturn  all  human  and 
divine  order,  and  seem  ready  to  play  once  more  the 
drama  of  John  of  Leyden,  Knipperdolling,  and  Thomas 
Miinzer." 

The  religious  condition  of  Witgenstein  at  this  period 
must  have  been  pitiable.  As  the  ruling  family  had 
repudiated  the  Reformed  faith,  it  was  not  to  be  ex- 
pected that  the  people  should  remain  faithful.  Relig- 
ious fanatics  came  streaming  in  from  every  direction, 
each  one  preaching  his  own  peculiar  heresy.  Many  of 
these  declared  the  glories  of  celibacy,  and  there  were 
hermitages  all  over  the  land.  Most  eloquent  of  all 
the  mystics  was  E.  C.  Hochman  von  Hochenau,  whose 
preaching  was  everywhere  attended  by  multitudes  whom 
he  earnestly  exhorted  to  study  the  Scriptures.  From 
the  fact  that  he  publicly  declared  that  "at  the  Refor- 
mation the  great  Babel  had  not  been  destroyed,  but 
had  only  broken  into  three  heads" — by  which  he 
meant  the  Catholic,  Lutheran,  and  Reformed  Churches 
— it  must  have  been  easy  to  discern  the  result  of 
studies  pursued  under  the  influence  of  his  teachings. 


CONRAD    BEISSEL.  l8l 

In  1708,  eight  persons,  of  whom  the  most  promi- 
nent was  a  miller  named  Alexander  Mack,  formed  a 
society  for  the  study  of  the  Bible.  Having  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  they  ought  to  be  baptized  by 
three-fold  immersion,  they  baptized  each  other  in  the 
Eder  at  Schwarzenau.  The  society  increased  rapidly, 
and  a  second  congregation  was  founded  at  Marien- 
born.  The  latter  body  subsequently  removed  to  Cre- 
feld,  and  in  1/19  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania.  Here 
they  prospered,  and  as  the  government  of  Witgenstein 
had  changed,  the  mother  congregation  of  Schwarzenau 
followed  them  in  1729.  The  whole  sect  of  "Bunkers," 
or  "Dompelars,"  was  in  this  way  transplanted  to 
America. 

The  "Brethren"  now  expected  to  enjoy  peace  and 
quiet,  but  the  settlement  was  hardly  effected  before 
it  was  disturbed  by  a  violent  controversy.  The  man 
who  caused  the  disturbance  was  a  remarkable  character, 
and  his  career  is  worthy  of  special  attention. 

CONRAD    BEISSEL 

was  born  in  1690,  in  the  village  of  Eberbach,  in  the 
Palatinate.  His  father  died  before  his  birth,  and  his 
mother  when  he  was  eight  years  old.  We  know  but 
little  concerning  his  early  life,  except  that  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  baker,  and  that  his  master  taught  him 
to  play  the  violin.  He  became  a  good  musician,  and 
wrote  verse  with  extraordinary  facility.  From  his  early 
youth  he  believed  that  he  was  not  born  for  common 


lS2  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

things,  and  seems  to  have  exerted  an  extraordinary 
influence  on  his  companions.  As  the  Reformed  Church, 
in  which  he  had  been  brought  up,  failed  to  furnish  a 
field  for  his  peculiar  genius,  he  turned  to  the  mystics, 
and  without  becoming  identified  with  any  one  of  the 
sects,  became  more  mystical  than  his  teachers.  Disap- 
pointed with  the  reception  which  was  accorded  to  his 
message  in  the  fatherland,  he  sailed  to  America  in 
1720,  and  spent  a  year  in  Germantown,  working  for 
Peter  Becker,  who  was  the  preacher  of  the  Dunker 
congregation  of  that  place.  Then  he  went  to  Lancas- 
ter county  in  company  with  a  friend,  and  built  a  hut 
in  which  they  lived  for  some  time  in  voluntary  pov- 
erty and  privation.  At  this  time  he  visited  the  Labad- 
ist  convent  at  Bohemia  Manor,  Maryland,  and  seems 
to  have  studied  the  rnles  of  its  peculiar  life.  In  1724 
a  little  company  of  Dunkers,  led  by  Beissel's  old  em- 
ployer, Peter  Becker,  came  to  Lancaster  county  on  a 
missionary  expedition.  At  first  Beissel  was  doubtful 
whether  he  ought  to  be  baptized  by  a  man  whom  he 
regarded  as  so  greatly  inferior  to  himself,  but  he  finally 
determined  to  allow  Becker  "to  become  his  John  the 
Baptist."  Almost  immediately  after  the  baptism,  it  was 
discovered  that  there  were  doctrinal  differences  which 
ought  to  have  been  previously  discussed.  Beissel  with 
his  followers  formed  themselves  into  a  separate  congre- 
gation, and  were  popularly  known  as  the  "New  Dun- 
kers."  He  published  a  book,  in  which  he  advocated 
the  observance  of  the  Old  Testament  Sabbath,  instead 


CONRAD    BEISSEL.  183 

of  Sunday,  and  the  schism  soon  became  complete.  In 
all  the  congregations,  however,  Beissel  had  his  adher- 
ents, who  were  generally  intelligent  members,  and 
these  in  many  instances  hastened  to  place  themselves 
under  his  special  direction.  They  at  first  encamped 
around  the  dwelling  of  the  master,  and  subsequently 
built  houses  there  in  order  that  they  might  constantly 
enjoy  the  blessing  of  his  presence. 

In  1732  they  adopted  a  conventual  rule,  and  began 
the  erection  of  monastic  buildings.  They  assumed  the 
garb  of  Capuchin  .monks,  but  the  rule  was  stricter 
than  those  of  the  Roman  Catholic  orders.  All  day 
long  they  labored  unceasingly,  and  at  night  their  bed 
was  a  rough  bench,  and  their  only  pillow  a  wooden 
billet.  The  master  had  not  studied  monasticism  in  vain. 
He  had  organized  a  society  which  had  no  will  but  his 
own,  and  for  a  time  he  ruled  it  with  a  rod  of  iron. 

Not  all  of  the  sect  were  members  of  the  order. 
Those  who  were  not  supposed  to  be  sufficiently  illu- 
minated to  embrace  the  celibate  life,  were  permitted 
to  dwell  with  their  families  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
it  is  said  that  nearly  all  the  land  within  three  or  four 
miles  of  the  convent  was  owned  by  Beissel's  adher- 
ents. The  congregation,  which  at  one  time  numbered 
more  than  three  hundred,  was  divided  into  four  dis- 
tricts— Massa,  Hebron,  Zohar,  and  Cades — and  the 
members  voluntarily  submitted  to  as  many  rules  of  the 
brotherhood  as  were  practicable  without  becoming  in- 
mates of  the  monastery. 


I  84  HISTORIC  MANUAL. 

BEISSEL'S  VISIT  TO  TULPEHOCKEN. 
Though  the  master  was  not  himself  a  highly  edu- 
cated man,  he  was  very  desirous  of  drawing  into  his 
net  a  few  thoroughly  trained  theologians.  This  would 
not  only  be  flattering  to  his  personal  vanity,  but  would 
enable  him  to  extend  the  influence  of  his  order.  At 
first  he  tried  hard  to  win  Rev.  J.  B.  Rieger,  the  Re- 
formed pastor  in  Lancaster,  but  his  hopes  were  disap- 
pointed when  he  heard  that  Rieger  had  taken  a  wife. 
"O,  Lord,"  he  exclaimed,  "Thou  sufferest  them  to 
spoil  in  my  very  hands."  Then  he  directed  his  atten- 
tion to  the  young  pastor  of  Tulpehocken.  He  deter- 
mined to  pay  him  a  visit,  and  Miller,  it  is  said,  re- 
ceived him  "as  an  angel  of  the  Lord."  The  visit  was 
returned,  and  finally  Miller  was  immersed,  and  became 
a  member  of  the  Brotherhood.  Beissel  also  made  other 
converts  in  Tulpehocken,  among  whom  were  Conrad 
Weiser  and  three  elders  of  the  Reformed  church. 
Weiser  soon  disagreed  with  the  "  Brethren,"  and  with- 
drew from  them,  but  Miller,  after  living  a  short  time 
as  a  hermit  in  Tulpehocken,  became  the  most  active 
member  of  the  fraternity. 

MILLER   AS   A    MONK. 

From  the  time  when  Miller  entered  the  Ephrata 
brotherhood,  he  seems  to  have  submitted  implicitly  to 
his  spiritual  director,  Conrad  Beissel.  The  latter  there- 
fore regarded  him  as  a  precious  instrument.  It  was 
through  his  influence,  that  after  the  defection  of  the 


MILLER   AS   A    MONK.  185 

first  prior,  Israel  Eckerlin,  Miller  was  chosen  to  that 
responsible  office.  Though  at  first,  through  excessive 
modesty,  he  declined  the  position,  he  was  soon  re- 
elected,  and  from  that  time  he  directed  the  secular 
business  of  the  society.  Beissel,  in  the  meantime, 
dwelt  apart  from  the  brethren,  and  was  supposed  to 
devote  his  time  to  spiritual  contemplation. 

After  the  death  of  Beissel  in  1768,  Miller,  or  "Brother 
Jabez,"  as  he  was  called  in  monastic  life,  became  the 
head  of  the  order.  There  can  be  no  doubt,  that  to 
him  was  principally  due  the  extraordinary  activity  dis- 
played by  its  members.  They  practiced  many  trades, 
and  owned  several  grist-mills,  a  saw-mill,  paper-mill, 
oil-mill,  fulling-mill,  and  we  believe,  a  type-foundry. 
Their  literary  activity  was  remarkable,  and  they  pub- 
lished many  books,  which,  are  now  regarded  as  among 
the  rarest  issues  of  the  American  press.  Among  these 
was  the  celebrated  "  Martyr-Book,"  which  was  trans- 
lated by  Miller  from  Dutch  into  German,  and  which 
was  by  far  the  largest  volume  printed  in  this  country 
before  the  Revolution. 

Miller  maintained  an  extensive  correspondence  with 
eminent  men  in  Europe  and  America,  and  was  known 
and  respected  by  the  civil  authorities.  It  is  said  that 
during  the  Revolution  he  interceded  with  General 
Washington  for  the  life  of  a  bitter  enemy  who  had 
given  aid  to  the  British,  and  secured  his  pardon. 

On  a  tomb-stone  at  Ephrata,  there  is  a  half-obliterated 
German  inscription,  of  which  the  following  is  a  translation : 


I  86  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

"  Here  lies  buried  Peter  Miller,  born  in  Obcramt 
Lantern,  in  the  Electoral  Palatinate;  came  to  America 
as  a  Reformed  preacher  in  the  year  1730;  was  bap- 
tized by  the  Community  at  Ephrata  in  the  year  1735, 
and  named  Brother  Jabez;  he  was  also  afterwards  a 
teacher  until  his  end.  He  fell  asleep  on  the  25th  of 
September,  1/96,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years  and 
nine  months." 

As  we  recently  stood  by  his  solitary  grave,  we  could 
not  help  regretting  that  this  eminent  man  was  lost  to 
the  Reformed  Church.  If  he  had  remained  faithful,  his 
scholarship  and  energy  might  have  enabled  him  to 
accomplish  a  glorious  work.  It  might  have  been  his 
privilege  to  organize  the  Reformed  Church  of  this 
country,  and  to  direct,  in  great  measure,  the  course  of 
its  subsequent  history.  No  .doubt  it  was  easier  to 
seek  a  refuge  in  the  cloister,  than  to  grapple  with  the 
difficulties  that  confronted  him;  but  flight  is  always 
the  refuge  of  the  coward.  With  all  his  learning  he 
must  have  been  a  weak  man.  Otherwise  he  would 
neither  have  become  the  willing  slave  of  a  religious 
charlatan,  nor  have  exchanged  the  pure  doctrines  of 
the  Reformation  for  the  vague  mysticism  of  a  fanati- 
cal dreamer. 

Before  the  death  of  Miller,  the  "Order  of  the  Soli- 
tary" had  commenced  to  decline,  and  a  few  years  later 
it  practically  ceased  to  exist.  In  1814  the  property  was 
legally  transferred  to  the  society  of  "The  German 
Seventh-day  Baptists,"  which  now  numbers  considerably 


MILLER   AS   A   MONK.  1 8/ 

less  than  fifty  members.  Even  these  are  divided  into 
two  parties,  who  are  engaged  in  litigation  for  the  control 
of  the  property.  The  end  cannot  be  far  distant. 

The  reasons  for  the  downfall  of  the  Ephrata  broth- 
erhood are  not  hard  to  determine.  Its  European  re- 
sources had  dried  up,  and  celibacy  prevented  a  younger 
generation  from  taking  the  place  of  those  who  passed 
away.  The  society  was  entirely  separated  from  the 
general  life  of  the  Church.  A  branch  that  is  severed 
from  the  stem  may  put  forth  an  abundance  of  foliage, 
but  it  has  no  root,  and  must  finally  wither  away. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

"  The  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit" — Antes — Bechtel — 
Brandmiller — Rauch — Lischy. 

IN  speaking  of  the  condition  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  America  during  the  last  century,  Dr.  Sprague 
reminds  us,  in  his  "Annals,"  that  we  cannot  properly 
understand  it  without  remembering  that  there  were 
almost  from  the  beginning  two  parties,  which  differed 
widely  as  to  their  views  of  church  polity.  These  were 
respectively  known  as  the  "Old  Side"  and  the  "New 
Side."  The  former  laid  great  stress  on  purity  of  doc- 
trine; it  insisted  on  the  strict  observance  of  law  and 
order,  and  regarded  a  thorough  education  as  essen- 
tial to  ministerial  efficiency.  The  latter,  though  it 
included  many  learned  men,  was  inclined  to  relax  the 
ancient  rules  by  admitting  to  the  ministry  pious  men 
who  had  not  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a  systematic 
education.  Deeply  impressed  with  the  deplorable  re- 
ligious condition  of  the  people,  the  latter  party  would 
gladly  have  sent  forth  a  multitude  of  evangelists,  in 
the  hope  of  thus  winning  them  for  the  cause  of  Christ. 
Naturally  they  were  somewhat  impatient  of  the  re- 
straints imposed  upon  them  by  the  existing  order; 
and  though,  in  most  instances,  they  held  to  the  ancient 

confessions   of  the    Church,   it   was   evident   that  they 

(188) 


THE   CONGREGATION    OF   GOD    IN   THE   SPIRIT.  189 

regarded  the  doctrinal  side  as  of  much  less  importance 
than  the  practical. 

Of  course  there  were  dangers  on  both  sides.  On 
the  one  hand  was  formalism,  on  the  other  fanaticism. 
It  was  difficult  to  steer  between  these  dangers,  and 
the  best  men  sometimes  fell  into  one  or  the  other 
extreme. 

The  condition  of  the  Reformed  Church  a  few  years 
later  was  analogous  to  that  of  the  Presbyterian.  In 
some  respects,  indeed,  these  differences  were  more 
strongly  marked  in  the  former  Church  than  in  the  lat- 
ter. The  early  Presbyterians  were  mostly  Scotch  or 
Irish,  so  that  their  social  life  and  early  training  had 
been  very  similar.  The  Reformed  people,  on  the  con- 
trary, came  from  many  countries,  and  had  naturally 
brought  with  them  a  large  number  of  local  peculiarities. 
These  were  not  less  evident  among  the  ministry  than 
among  the  people.  In  the  Fatherland  there  had  been 
schools  of  theology  by  scores,  and  their  peculiar  feat- 
ures had  impressed  themselves  upon  their  disciples. 
Thus,  it  is  evident  that  ministers  who  came  from  dis- 
tricts in  which  Pietism  had  been  prevalent,  were  in- 
clined to  what  may  be  denominated  the  "  New  Side," 
while  others  who  in  their  own  way  were  no  less  earn- 
est and  devoted,  regarded  the  preservation  of  the  purity 
of  Christian  doctrine  as  the  highest  function  of  the 
ministry. 

When  Boehm  and  Weis  placed  themselves  under 
the  protection  of  the  Church  of  Holland,  and  formally 


I9O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

recognized  its  symbols  of  faith,  their  course  did  not 
command  the  universal  approval  of  the  Reformed  peo- 
ple of  Pennsylvania.  It  was  believed  by  many  that 
the  Dutch  synods  would  insist  on  a  rigid  adherence 
to  the  Belgic  confession  and  the  Articles  of  Dordrecht. 
This  dissatisfied  element,  which  might  have  been  called 
the  "  New  Side,"  was  principally  influenced  by  those 
who  were  active  in  the  organization  of  the  "Congre- 
gation of  God  in  the  Spirit." 

The  religious  condition  of  the  German  people  of 
Pennsylvania  was  deplorable.  The  wildest  forms  of 
fanaticism  were  rampant,  while  the  great  body  of  the 
people,  disgusted  by  these  extravagancies,  and  desti- 
tute of  proper  means  of  religious  instruction,  was  fast 
falling  into  a  condition  of  hopeless  irreligion  and  un- 
belief. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  under  these  circumstances 
some  of  the  best  of  the  Germans  should  have  looked 
around  for  some  means  of  promoting  unity  among 
Christians,  and  thus  presenting  a  strong  front  to  the 
attacks  of  the  enemy.  As  early  as  1738  John  Adam 
Gruber,  of  Oley,  had  issued  an  address  calling  for 
some  sort  of  union.  Gruber  was,  however,  a  member 
of  the  sect  of  "  the  Inspired,"  and  the  people  were  not 
disposed  to  accept  him  as  a  leader.  The  idea  was 
then  taken  up  by  Henry  Antes,  and  under  his  leader- 
ship it  for  a  while  promised  to  become  a  powerful 
movement  in  the  direction  of  Christian  unity. 

Antes  was  certainly  a   remarkable   man.     Descended 


HENRY   ANTES.  19 1 

from  an  eminent  family  in  Europe,  he  had  come  to 
America  with  his  parents  in  early  manhood.  "In  ap- 
pearance and  dress,"  says  one  of  his  descendants,  "he 
was  an  enormous  German  farmer,  and  in  language 
and  manners  a  courtier  of  the  ancien  regime"  He  was 
a  miller  and  a  millwright,  but  soon  became  an  active 
man  of  business.  "  His  services,"  says  Mr.  H.  S.  Dot- 
terer,  in  a  valuable  series  of  articles  on  his  career, 
"were  called  into  requisition  in  the  selection  of  lands, 
the  negotiation  of  purchases,  the  drawing  of  wills,  and 
the  settlement  of  estates.  His  prudence  and  integrity 
in  the  performance  of  duties  requiring  acquaintance 
with  business  formalities  and  knowledge  of  financial 
matters  were  recognized  throughout  the  then  limited 
bounds  of  the  inhabited  parts  of  the  province." 

Antes  entered  into  religious  affairs  with  characteris- 
tic energy  and  enthusiasm.  In  1736  we  find  him  min- 
istering to  the  Reformed  people  of  Oley.  It  is  not 
certain  that  he  preached  at  this  time,  but  he  went  from 
house  to  house  and  led  the  people  in  singing  and 
prayer.  In  the  same  year  he  made  the  acquaintance 
of  the  celebrated  Moravian  missionary,  Spangenberg, 
who  was  staying  at  the  house  of  Christopher  Wiegner, 
in  Skippack.  At  that  old  Schwenkfelder  homestead 
he  frequently  met  a  company  of  godly  men,  represent- 
ing many  fcrms  of  faith,  who  were  all  earnest  in  the 
promotion  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  For  a  while  he 
continued  to  hold  his  membership  in  the  Reformed 
church  at  Falkner  Swamp,  but  the  time  came  when 


IQ2  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Boehm  and  Antes  could  no  longer  agree.  Boehm, 
however,  said  of  him,  in  the  midst  of  the  subsequent 
controversy:  "So  far  as  Henry  Antes  and  myself  are 
concerned,  he  knows  full  well  how  our  hearts  were 
formerly  bound  together  in  a  cordial  love  for  the  divine 
truth  of  our  Reformed  teachings.  This  love,  for  my 
part,  I  have  not  forgotten,  and  although  I  have  been 
deeply  wounded  by  him,  I  shall  never  forget  to  beseech 
the  Almighty  in  my  prayers,  to  bring  him,  together 
with  all  the  erring  ones,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  back  to  the  right." 

When  the  Reverend  George  Whitefield,  the  greatest 
revival  preacher  of  modern  times,  visited  Pennsylvania, 
in  1740,  he  was  entertained  at  the  house  of  Antes,  and 
preached  there  to  a  great  multitude  of  people.  The 
Moravian  bishop,  Petrus  Boehler,  preached  in  German 
on  the  same  occasion.  Thus  Methodists  and  Morav- 
ians fraternized  at  the  home  of  "the  pious  Reformed 
man  of  Frederick  township." 

When  Count  Zinzendorf  arrived  in  Pennsylvania,  in 
1741,  Antes  was  among  the  first  to  welcome  him.  To 
him,  he  presented  his  plan  of  promoting  unity  among 
the  churches.  It  is  said  that  the  Count  did  not  at  first 
fully  approve  of  it,  possibly  anticipating  that  it  might 
result  in  the  establishment  of  a  body  that  would  be 
unfavorable  to  the  Unity  of  the  Brethren.  He  there- 
fore gave  his  consent  to  the  enterprise  rather  reluct- 
antly, but  soon  became  its  leading  spirit.  In  Decem- 
ber. 1741,  Antes  issued  a  call  for  a  meeting  of  "those 


HENRY    ANTES.  1 93 

who  could  give  a  reason  for  the  faith  that  was  in 
them,"  to  be  held  in  Germantown,  on  New  Year's 
Day.  This  meeting  was  followed,  during  the  succeed- 
ing years,  by  six  others.  The  plan  of  union  elab- 
orated at  these  meetings  was  called  "The  Congrega- 
tion of  God  in  the  Spirit."  It  was  founded  in  strict 
accordance  with  Zinzendorf's  theory  of  Tropes,  accord- 
ing to  which  every  one  might  retain  his  denomina- 
tional peculiarities,  while  at  the  same  time  he  stood 
in  connection  with  a  higher  unity.  There  was,  for 
instance,  no  intention  of  destroying  the  Lutherans,  Re- 
formed, or  Mennonites,  as  religious  denominations,  but 
they  were  to  be  united  by  means  of  the  confederation 
of  those  who  had  reached  the  highest  grade  of  spir- 
itual perception.  Though  the  fact  was  rather  implied 
than  expressed,  the  Moravians  were  to  be  the  control- 
ling power  in  the  whole  '  movement.  Zinzendorf  had 
no  idea  of  establishing  a  sect,  but  to  him  it  appeared 
beautiful  that  there  should  be  within  the  Church  a 
community  of  elect  souls  who  would  more  and  more 
withdraw  themselves  from  worldly  affairs  to  live  a  life 
like  that  of  the  angels  in  heaven. 

At  first  it  seemed  as  though  this  well-meant  move- 
ment would  prove  successful.  Many  excellent  men 
welcomed  it,  and  Zinzendorf  and  his  coadjutors  pro- 
ceeded to  ordain  ministers  for  the  Lutheran  and  Re- 
formed Churches.  They  presumed  to  do  this  for  the 
Reformed  Church  by  virtue  of  authority  given  them 

by    the    Reformed    antistes  (or    bishop)    Jablonsky,    of 
'3 


194  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Berlin,  who  was  also  a  bishop  of  the  ancient  Mora- 
vian community.  In  this  way  they  ordained,  as  Re- 
formed ministers,  Henry  Antes,  John  Bechtel,  John 
Brandmiller,  Christian  Henry  Ranch,  Jacob  Lischy, 
and  possibly  others.  As  the  confessional  basis  of  its 
Reformed  churches,  the  "  Congregation "  laid  down  the 
Decrees  of  the  Synod  of  Berne.  Bechtel  prepared  and 
published  a  catechism  which  claimed  to  be  founded  on 
these  decrees,  and  which  was  intended  to  supplant  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism.  Then  there  came  a  time  of 
fierce  conflict.  Zinzendorf  and  Boehm  engaged  in  a 
controversy  which  was  too  bitter  to  be  creditable  to 
either  party.  The  Reformed  congregations  were  ex- 
cited, and  refused  to  be  served  by  ministers  who  stood 
in  the  ''Unity."  Gradually  most  of  these  ministers, 
with  some  of  their  members,  withdrew  from  the  Re- 
formed Church  and  fully  identified  themselves  with  the 
Moravians.  Antes  was  for  some  time  a  resident  of  Beth- 
lehem, but  finally  became  dissatisfied  and  returned  to 
his  farm  in  Frederick  township,  Montgomery  county, 
where  he  died  in  1755.  It  is  not  known  whether  he  ever 
renewed  his  relations  with  the  Church  of  his  fathers. 
Some  of  his  children  were  Reformed,  and  others  Mora- 
vian. Bechtel,  Brandmiller,  Rauch  and  other  ministers 
became  fully  identified  with  the  Moravian  Church. 
Lischy  remained  a  while  in  the  Reformed  Church,  and 
preached  in  York  county.  Always  impatient  of  the 
restraints  of  law  and  order,  he  was  accused  of  moral 
delinquency  and  became  independent  of  all  ecclesiastical 


JACOB    LISCHY.  IQ5 

connections.  Finally,  when  the  Reformed  and  Lutheran 
Churches  were  severally  consolidated  by  the  labors  of 
Muhlenberg  and  Schlatter,  the  last  vestiges  of  the  "  Con- 
gregation" were  entirely  swept  away. 

It  is  not  hard  to  determine  the  reasons  for  the  failure 
of  this  well-meant  scheme.  Apart  from  other  grounds,  it 
is  evident  that,  whatever  may  have  been  its  original 
motives,  it  was  in  its  subsequent  development  entirely 
foreign  to  the  spirit  of  the  Reformed  and  Lutheran 
Churches.  And  yet  who  will  say  that  it  did  not  accom- 
plish an  important  purpose?  In  that  dark  and  dreary 
time  even  this  shaking  of  the  dry  bones  was  in  itself  a 
promise  of  the  coming  resurrection. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Michael  Schlatter — Birth  and  Education — Sent  to  America  by 
the  Synods  of  Holland— Pastor  in  Philadelphia — Missionary 
Journeys —  The  Organization  of  the  Coetus —  The  Rival  Con- 
gregation in  Philadelphia — Schlatter  s  Mission  to  Europe —  The 
Charity  Schools. — Later  Years — The  Character  of  his  Work. 

THE  arrival  of  Michael  Schlatter  in  America,  on  the 
1st  of  August,  1746,  was  an  important  event  in  the 
history  of  the  Church.  Hitherto  the  scattered  Re- 
formed congregations  had  been  in  a  lamentable  state 
of  confusion.  A  few  congregations  in  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania recognized  the  authority  of  the  Church  of 
Holland,  but  there  was  practically  no  bond  of  union 
between  them.  The  mission  of  Weis  and "  Reiff  had 
called  attention  to  their  miserable  condition,  but  had 
not  been  instrumental  in  relieving  it.  The  Synods  of 
Holland,  therefore,  regarded  themselves  as  fortunate  in 
being  able  to  secure  the  services  of  a  worthy  Swiss 
minister  to  take  charge  of  their  missionary  work  in 
America,  and  thus  to  bring  order  odt  of  the  existing 
chaos. 

Michael  Schlatter  was  born  in  St.  Gall,  Switzerland, 
October  8,  1685.  He  was  respectably  connected,  being 
related  through  his  mother  with  the  celebrated  Zolli- 
kofer  family.  In  his  youth  he  enjoyed  excellent  edu- 
cational advantages,  but  seems  to  have  been  by  nature 

(196) 


THE   MISSION   TO    AMERICA. 


better  suited  to  be  a  pioneer  than  a  scholastic  recluse. 
After  completing  his  course  in  the  university,  he  was 
for  some  time  a  teacher  in  Holland,  where  he  was 


SCHLATTER'S  COAT  OF  ARMS  AND  SIGNATURE. 

ordained  to  the  ministry,  and  then  successively  served 
as  assistant  minister  at  several  places  in  his  native  land. 

HIS   MISSION   TO   AMERICA. 

During  his  residence  in  Holland,  Schlatter  had 
become  familiar  with  the  language  of  the  country,  and 
had  no  doubt  made  many  friends.1  When  the  Synods 

1  At  this  time  he  began  to  write  his  name  "  Slatter,"  after  the  Dutch 
fashion,  and  this  orthography  he  retained  until  his  relations  with  the 
Dutch  synods  were  terminated.  A  signature  in  possession  of  the  author, 
dated  1767,  is  written  "Schlatter." 


198  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

of  Holland,  in  1746,  sought  a  successor  to  Dorstius 
and  Weis,  as  Superintendent  of  Missions  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, it  was  but  natural  that  they  should  remember 
the  young  Swiss  minister  who  appeared  so  well  suited 
to  this  peculiar  work.  He  responded  to  their  invi- 
tation with  alacrity,  and  on  the  1st  of  June,  1746, 
sailed  from  Amsterdam  for  his  field  of  labor.  After  a 
voyage  of  exactly  two  months,  during  which  he  nar- 
rowly escaped  shipwreck  on  Cape  Sable,  he  arrived  at 
Boston  on  the  1st  of  August,  where  he  was  kindly 
entertained  by  the  Honorable  I.  Wendel,  an  eminent 
Holland  merchant. 

Full  of  enthusiasm,  Schlatter  rested  only  four  days  at 
Boston,  and  then  started  on  his  journey  by  land  to  Phila- 
delphia. In  New  York  he  was  very  kindly  received,  but 
after  spending  a  few  weeks  with  his  Dutch  brethren  he 
hastened  on  to  his  destination.  On  the  6th  of  Septem- 
ber he  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  where  the  Reformed  peo- 
ple received  him  with  great  rejoicing.  It  was  not  his  in- 
tention at  first  to  become  a  settled  pastor ;  but  the  need 
of  ministers  was  so  great  that,  within  a  few  months  of  his 
arrival,  he  was  induced  to  accept  a  call  from  the  Re- 
formed Churches  of  Philadelphia  and  Germantown.  He 
refused,  however,  to  accept  any  salary  for  the  first  year, 
"  in  order,"  he  says,  "  that  by  deeds  I  might  convince 
them  that  I  did  not  serve  them  merely  for  the  sake  of 
my  bread." 

MISSIONARY  JOURNEYS. 

During  this  period  Schlatter  made  extensive  mission- 


THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COETUS.       199 

ary  journeys,  visiting  the  widely  scattered  churches  in 
Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  Maryland  and  Virginia.  The 
work  was  difficult  and  sometimes  dangerous,  and  could 
only  have  been  accomplished  by  a  person  of  indomitable 
energy  and  perseverance.  He  informs  us  that  he  trav- 
eled more  than  eight  thousand  miles,  not  reckoning  his 
voyage  across  the  ocean.  By  rude  bridle-paths  he  took 
his  way  through  the  forests  from  one  settlement  to 
another,  enduring  privations  of  which  we  cannot  form  an 
adequate  conception.  Wherever  he  went  he  called  the 
people  together,  and,  after  preaching  the  Gospel,  induced 
them  to  pledge  themselves  to  pay  a  specified  amount  for 
the  support  of  a  settled  minister.  No  doubt  many  of 
these  people  had  hitherto  failed  to  appreciate  the  neces- 
sity of  providing  for  the  salary  of  a  pastor.  Unwearied 
by  the  difficulties  that  confronted  him,  Schlatter  organ- 
ized the  congregations  into  pastoral  charges.  Some 
of  these  were  of  enormous  extent,  and  in  more  than  one 
instance  their  territory  now  furnishes  room  for  an  entire 
classis ;  but  the  field  had  been  traversed,  and  it  was  now 
possible  to  build  up  the  Church  in  an  orderly  manner. 

THE   ORGANIZATION    OF   THE   COETUS. 

In  accordance  with  the  instructions  which  he  had  re- 
ceived from  Holland,  Schlatter  'immediately  prepared  the 
way  for  the  establishment  of  a  Coetus,1  or  Synod.  The 

1  The  term  Coetus,  as  applied  to  an  ecclesiastical  body,  is  derived  from 
John  de  Lasky,  who,  in  1544,  established  the  Coetus  of  Emden.  It  prop- 
erly differs  from  a  Synod  in  being  a  purely  advisory  body,  though  the  two 
terms  are  often  interchangeably  employed. —  Goebel,  I.,  333. 


2OO  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

preliminary  meeting  was  held  in  Philadelphia  on  the  I2th 
of  October,  1746.  Besides  Schlatter,  Weiss,  Boehm,  and 
Rieger  were  present  The  first  regular  meeting  was, 
however,  convened  in  Philadelphia,  on  September  29th, 
1747.  Thirty-one  members,  including  elders,  were  in  at- 
tendance. The  opening  sermon  was  preached  by  the 
Rev.  J.  B.  Rieger. 

From'  this  time  onward,  except  for  several  years  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  War,  the  meetings  of  the  Coetus 
were  regularly  held.  The  proceedings  were  reported  to 
the  Synods  of  Holland,  and  no  action  could  be  final 
without  their  approval, 

THE   RIVAL   CONGREGATION    IN   PHILADELPHIA. 

While  Schlatter  was  absent  on  his  missionary  jour- 
neys, there  was  trouble  brewing  in  his  church  in  Phil- 
adelphia. In  September,  1749,  the  Rev.  John  Conrad 
Steiner,  of  Winterthur,  Switzerland,  arrived  in  Phila- 
delphia. He  was  a  pulpit  orator  of  considerable  celeb- 
rity, having  published  a  volume  of  sermons  in  Europe. 
The  Germans  of  Philadelphia  were  captivated  by  his 
eloquence,  and  a  party  was  soon  formed  which  desired 
to  make  him  pastor  instead  of  Schlatter.  The  result 
was  a  conflict  between  the  Schlatter  and  Steiner  par- 
ties', which  was  brought  before  the  civil  authorities, 
and  was  finally  decided  in  favor  of  Schlatter.  The 
Steiner  party  built  a  new  church  on  Race  street, 
below  Third,  but  Steiner  remained  there  only  a  few 
years,  and  then  removed  to  Germantown,  Pa.,  and  subse- 


SCHLATTER S    MISSION   TO    EUROPE.  2OI 

quently  to  Frederick,  Maryland.  The  new  congregation 
in  Philadelphia  maintained  a  sickly  existence  until  1759, 
when  the  members  returned  to  the  mother  church. 
Steiner  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  united 
congregation,  but  died  three  years  later.  Though  in 
many  respects  a  worthy  man,  his  conduct  towards 
Schlatter  is  not  to  be  defended.  His  extant  correspond- 
ence with  Otterbein  shows  him  to  have  been  self-willed 
and  impatient  of  authority. 

SCHLATTER'S  MISSION  TO  EUROPE. 

At  the  request  of  the  Coetus,  Schlatter  in  1751  went 
to  Europe  for  the  purpose  of  presenting  the  cause  of  the 
destitute  German  Churches  in  America.  His  mission 
was  very  successful,  especially  in  Holland.  A  sum  of 
money,  amounting  to  ;£  12,000,  was  collected  and  in- 
vested for  the  benefit  of  the  American  churches.  Though 
the  greater  part  of  this  amount  was  contributed  in  Hol- 
land, other  countries  also  sent  gifts,  and  even  the  poor 
Palatinate  gave  about  three  hundred  dollars.  Schlatter's 
mission  was  a  complete  success,  and  in  1752  he  returned 
to  America,  bringing  with  him  six  young  ministers.1 
He  also  brought  seven  hundred  Bibles  for  distribution  to 
churches  and  families. 

THE   CHARITY   SCHOOLS. 

The  success  which  had  attended  the  labors  of  Schlat- 
ter in  Holland  and  Germany,  suggested  an  extensive 

1  The  names  of  the  ministers  who  accompanied  Schlatter  to  America 
were  Otterbein,  Stoy,  Waldschmid.  Frankenfeld.  Wissler.  and  Rubel. 


2O2  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

educational  movement  in  behalf  of  the  Germans  of 
Pennsylvania.  Rev.  David  Thomson  translated  Schlat- 
ten's  "Appeal"  into  English,  and  a  number  of  philan- 
thropists organized  in  England  a  "Society  for  the  Pro- 
motion of  the  Knowledge  of  God  among  the  Germans." 
In  order  to  attract  attention  to  the  scheme,  the  condi- 
tion of  these  Germans  was  grossly  exaggerated.  They 
were  not  only  represented  as  ignorant  beyond  compar- 
ison, but  as  fast  becoming  "  like  unto  wood-born  sav- 
ages." It  was  even  suggested  that  unless  their  children 
received  an  English  education,  they  might  finally  be- 
come rebellious  and  drive  the  English  from  the  conti- 
nent of  America.  In  consequence  of  these  imputations, 
the  Lutherans,  in  1754,  and  the  Reformed,  in  1756, 
adopted  resolutions  expressing  their  indignation  at  such 
insinuations. 

Even  at  this  early  period  this  charitable  movement 
had  become,  to  some  extent,  political.  A  very  large 
sum  of  money  was  collected — said  to  have  amounted 
to  .£20,000 — which  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  trus- 
tees for  the  establishment  of  "Charity  Schools"  among 
the  Germans.  These  trustees  consisted  mainly  of  the 
colonial  aristocracy,  who  made  no  secret  of  their 
intention  to  employ  the  schools  as  a  means  of  break- 
ing the  alliance  which  had  hitherto  subsisted  between 
the  Germans  and  the  Quakers.  No  doubt,  when  they 
rode  about  in  their  coaches,  to  establish  schools,  they 
did  not  do  much  to  conciliate  the  recipients  of  their 
bounty.  Charity  schools  were  established  in  Lancaster, 


THE   CHARITY   SCHOOLS.  2QT, 

Reading,  York,  Easton,  New  Hanover,  and  Skippack. 
Schlatter  was  persuaded  to  become  superintendent  of 
schools,  but  he  was  powerless  in  the  face  of  the  opposi- 
tion that  had  been  aroused  against  them.  Christopher 
Saur,  the  celebrated  printer,  denounced  them  in  his  paper, 
insisting  that  they  were  intended  to  prepare  the  way  for 
the  establishment  of  the  Church  of  England.  The  Ger- 
mans consequently  became  greatly  excited,  and  held 
meetings  in  which  they  resolved  not  to  patronize  the 
charity  schools.  It  must  be  confessed  that  they  had 
some  reason  to  be  dissatisfied.  Though  they  had  founded 
a  parochial  school  in  close  connection  with  almost  every 
one  of  their  churches,  they  were  stigmatized  as  hope- 
lessly ignorant.  No  wonder  that  Christopher  Saur  was 
not  willing  to  rest  quietly  under  this  imputation,  when 
at  his  great  publishing  house  in  Germantown,  he  was 
printing  more  books  than  any  other  publisher  in  the 
American  colonies.  The  conduct  of  the  Germans,  in 
refusing  to'  avail  themselves  of  the  benefits  of  the 
charity  fund,  was  perhaps  unwise;  but  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  they  were  incensed  at  being  represented, 
in  the  old  and  new  world,  as  proper  subjects  to  be 
bribed  and  cajoled  by  a  foreign  charity.  "  It  was," 
says  Dr.  Harbaugh,  "in  a  measure,  at  least,  a  just 
indignation;  and  we  feel  disposed  first  to  blame  them 
somewhat  for  a  lack  of  humility,  and  then  to  praise 
them  more  for  their  manliness  and  sense  of  honor." 

In  the  midst  of  this  excitement,  Schlatter  was  person- 
ally the  chief  sufferer.     His  official  position  as  superin- 


2O4  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

tendent  of  the  charity  schools  rendered  him  the  main 
object  of  popular  hatred.  For  some  time  the  Lutheran 
and  Reformed  ministers  sustained  him,  but  the  people 
were  so  greatly  excited  that  his  influence  was  entirely 
destroyed. 

The  charity  schools  proved  an  utter  failure.  What 
finally  became  of  the  funds  it  is  impossible  to  say.  As 
the  interest  alone  could  be  applied  to  the  schools,  it 
would  seem  as  though  the  principal  must  have  remained 
intact.  "  Those  who  had  control  of  the  funds,"  says  Dr. 
Harbaugh  significantly,  "no  doubt  found  some  more 
promising  object  to  which  to  apply  the  capital."  The 
Holland  fund,  on  the  contrary,  was  securely  invested  in 
Europe,  and  from  its  income  the  Reformed  Churches 
for  many  years  received  valuable  aid. 

Utterly  disheartened,  Schlatter  became  a  chaplain  in 
the  British  army,  and  was  present  in  1/57  at  the  siege  of 
Louisburg.  After  his  return  to  Pennsylvania,  in  1759, 
he  lived  in  retirement  at  a  place  which  he  called  "  Sweet- 
land,"  at  Chestnut  Hill,  near  Philadelphia.  He  preached 
in  neighboring  churches,  but  took  no  active  part  in  the 
affairs  of  the  Church.  During  the  Revolution,  he  earn- 
estly sided  with  the  Americans.  As  he  was  still  nom- 
inally a  Royal  chaplain,  he  became  especially  obnoxious 
to  the  British,  and  was  for  some  time  imprisoned,  much 
of  his  property  being  wantonly  destroyed.  He  died  in 
October,  1790. 

The  portrait  of  Schlatter,  which  was  saved  from  the 
British  by  his  daughter  Rachel,  represents  a  man  with 


MICHAEL   SCHLATTER.  2O5 

strongly-marked  Swiss  features,  seated  before  an  open 
Bible.  He  is  said  feo  have  been  of  small  stature,  but  ex- 
ceedingly active  and  versatile.  Though  his  public  life 
was  confined  to  a  few  years,  the  results  of  his  work  were 
extraordinary.  If  his  plans  had  not  been  spoiled  by  men 
who  cared  nothing  for  his  labors,  but  employed  him  for 
political  purposes,  and  thus  compassed  his  ruin,  he 
would  no  doubt  have  accomplished  a  gigantic  work  for 
the  literary  advancement  of  his  people.  Rejected  by  his 
own  generation,  Schlatter  died  in  poverty  and  obscurity, 
but  at  last  his  Church  has  learned  to  do  justice  to  his 
memory,  and  his  name  will  never  be  forgotten. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Decline —  The  Lost  Churches — Streaks  of  Daylight. 

THE  period  immediately  succeeding  the  failure  of  the 
Charity  Schools  was  a  time  of  gloom  and  depression.  It 
would  be  more  pleasant  to  hasten  on  to  the  contempla- 
tion of  brighter  days,  but  this  period  really  furnishes  a 
key  to  much  of  our  subsequent  history.  There  were 
many  causes  that  contributed  to  this  unhappy  condition. 
Schlatter  had  withdrawn  from  active  co-operation  with 
the  Coetus,  and  the  body  which  had  previously  suffered 
from  his  unpopularity  was  now  deprived  of  his  talents 
and  energy.  The  enthusiasm  which  is  an  essential  con- 
dition of  great  enterprises  had  almost  disappeared.  In 
1757  there  were  but  six  ministers  who  attended  the 
meeting  of  Coetus.  On  that  occasion,  it  is  true,  Rev.  J. 
C.  Steiner,  pastor  at  Frederick,  Maryland,  reported  that 
he  had  travelled  2,690  miles  in  visiting  vacant  churches, 
but  such  isolated  efforts  could  not  meet  the  wants  of  the 
Church. 

It  must  also  be  confessed  that  there  were  serious  dis- 
sensions which  stood  in  the  way  of  concerted  action. 
Steiner  and  Stoy  were  probably  the  most  prominent 
ministers  in  the  Church.  Both  were  well  educated,  but 
they  were  high-spirited,  eccentric,  unwilling  to  submit  to 

authority,  and  sometimes  came  into  violent  collision. 

(206) 


THE    LOST    CHURCHES.  2O/ 

Every  year  from  fifteen  hundred  to  three  thousand 
guilders  were  sent  from  Holland  in  aid  of  the  German 
Reformed  Churches.  It  was  a  noble  act  of  charity,  and 
no  doubt  accomplished  much  good  ;  but  the  money  was 
distributed  by  a  committee  of  Coetus,  and  there  were 
frequent  complaints  with  regard  to  the  apportionment. 
Finally,  these  troubles  were  overcome  by  dividing  the 
money  equally  among  the  recipients.  Not  many  docu- 
ments of  this  period  have  been  preserved,  but  these 
show  that  in  the  opinion  of  some  of  the  best  men,  the 
condition  of  the  Church  appeared  to  be  almost  hopeless. 
The  pious  Otterbein,  who  had  come  to  America  in  1752 
in  company  with  Schlatter,  was  greatly  discouraged. 
In  a  letter,  written  in  1759,  in  which  he  expostulates 
with  Steiner  for  his  disorderly  conduct  in  Philadelphia, 
he  says :  "  It  is  true  the  condition  of  the  Coetus  is  dis- 
couraging. But  ought  you,  in  deference  to  the  Synods 
(of  Holland)  to  have  acted  in  this  manner  ?  And  if  the 
Coetus  had  resisted  their  decision,  which  I  do  not  an- 
ticipate, you  might  then  have  acted  according  to  your 
conscience  and  have  been  excusable.  Why  do  we  con- 
stantly annoy  each  other?  Why  do  we  misunderstand 
each  other?  What  will  be  the  final  result  of  all  this? 
When  I  consider  our  whole  cause,  I  feel  too  certain  that 
God  has  given  up  the  pastors  and  people." 

THE    LOST    CHURCHES. 

If  Schlatter's  missionary  labors  had  been  continued 
and  extended,  the  Reformed  Church  might  have  been 


2O8  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

established  in  almost  every  one  of  the  colonies.  There 
were  far  more  German  settlements  than  is  now  gen- 
erally supposed,  and  the  Huguenots  of  the  South 
would  have  been  glad  to  be  connected  with  the  Re- 
formed churches,  especially  as  many  of  them  had  not 
come  directly  from  France,  but  had  found  a  refuge  in 
Germany  before  they  emigrated  to  America.  It  may 
be  well  briefly  to  survey  a  part,  at  least,  of  'the  terri- 
tory in  which  the  Reformed  Church  might  have  suc- 
cessfully labored. 

Far  to  the  North,  in  Nova  Scotia,  there  was  a  con- 
siderable German  settlement.  These  Germans  had 
been  brought  there  in  1753,  and  were  at  first  greatly 
discouraged  by  the  coldness  of  the  climate  and  the 
sterility  of  the  soil.  After  dreadful  sufferings  they 
grew  prosperous,  and  built  the  town  of  Lunenberg. 
In  1770  they  appealed  to  the  Coetus  to  send  them  a 
minister,  and  two  years  later  they  sent  a  delegate  to 
Germany  to  collect  money  for  their  church.  Despair- 
ing of  obtaining  a  pastor  in  any  other  way,  they  finally 
selected  a  pious  fisherman,  named  Bruin  Romcas  Comin- 
goe,  who  was  ordained  by  ministers  of  the  Church 
of  Scotland.  He  labored  faithfully  until  1819,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Moschell,  who 
came  directly  from  Germany.  After  his  resignation  in 
1837,  the  congregation  connected  itself  with  the  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

At  Waldoborough,  in  Maine,  there  was  a  settlement 
as  early  as  1739,  consisting  principally  of  Lutherans 


THE    LOST   CHURCHES.  2CX) 

and  Reformed.  They  built  a  union  church,  and  as  the 
Reformed  were  in  the  minority,  were  served  for  many 
years  by  Lutheran  ministers,  who  administered  the 
communion  to  the  Reformed  members  according  to 
the  form  which  they  preferred.  German  services  were 
maintained  until  1850,  but  the  young  folks  grew  up 
English,  and  the  whole  congregation  finally  passed 
over  to  the  Congregationalists. 

The  towns  of  Frankfort  and  Kennebec,  in  Maine, 
and  of  Leyden,  in  Massachusetts,  were  founded  by 
Germans.  Even  in  New  England,  we  believe  that  by 
earnest  missionary  labor  the  Reformed  Church  might 
have  been  firmly  established. 

In  the  colony  of  New  York  there  were  many  Ger- 
man Reformed  churches.  The  church  on  Nassau  street, 
in  the  city  of  New  York,  numbered  among  its  pastors 
such  men  as  John  Michael  Kern,  Dr.  J.  Daniel  Gros, 
and  Dr.  Philip  Milledoler,  who  were  famous  in  their 
day.  Gebhard  preached  at  Claverack,  and  Foehring  at 
Montgomery. .  At  Schoharie,  where  Hager  and  Weis 
had  labored,  there  was  a  succession  of  German  minis- 
ters, who  were  virtually  independent.  At  various  places 
in  the  Mohawk  Valley  there  were  German  congrega- 
tions, for  which  John  J.  Wack  preached  irregularly  for 
many  years,  but  they  finally  passed  over  at  last  to  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church.  The  congregations  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  which  are  now  connected  with 
the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States  were,  we 

believe,  all  founded  at  a  later  date. 
'4 


219  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

The  German  Reformed  element  in  New  Jersey  was 
by  no  means  insignificant.  In  Amwell,  Hunterdon 
county,  there  was  a  large  congregation  which  is  said 
to  have  been  founded  in  1740.  Here  Dr.  Caspar  M. 
Stapel  preached,  and  in  1762  published  an  edition  of 
Lampe's  "  Wakrkcitsmilch"  which  was  probably  the  first 
bound  volume  issued  by  a  Reformed  minister  in  this 
country.  Northward  from  Amwell,  through  the  Ger- 
man Valley,  extended  a  long  line  of  Reformed  churches, 
in  some  of  which  Schlatter  preached.  In  1763  the  con- 
sistory at  Amwell  suggested  to  the  synods  of  Holland 
to  send  over  a  few  more  ministers,  and  to  organize  a 
Coetus  of  New  Jersey,  including,  we  suppose,  both  the 
German  and  Dutch  churches.  If  this  had  been  donei 
we  do  not  doubt  that  the  Reformed  would  have 
become  the  leading  denomination  in  all  that  region. 
The  lack  of  ministers  and  the  fact  that  the  English 
language  soon  supplanted  the  German  in  New  Jer- 
sey, were  the  principal  reasons  why  the  Reformed 
churches  were  neglected  and  lost.  A  fe.w  were  gath- 
ered by  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  -and  some  be- 
came Presbyterian,  but  most  of  them  were  disbanded 
and  scattered. 

It  is  far  from  New  Jersey  to  Virginia,  and  we  might 
find  many  places  to  linger  on  the  way.  There  is,  how- 
ever, no  part  of  the  country  in  which  the  Reformed 
Church  has  suffered  more,  than  in  the  "  Old  Dominion." 
The  present  Classis  of  Virginia  includes  some  pros- 
perous charges  and  many  excellent  and  intelligent  peo- 


THE    LOST    CHURCHES.  211 

pie,  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  Church  has 
lost  greatly  by  neglecting  its  early  opportunities.  As 
early  as  1711  Governor  Spottiswoode  founded  a  Ger- 
man settlement  in  Rockingham  county,  and  in  1736 
Samuel  Jenner,  of  Berne,  Switzerland,  under  the  aus- 
pices of  the  "  Helvetic  Society,"  built  the  village  galled 
"  Eden,"  on  the  Roanoke.  These  are  but  examples  of 
early  settlements  before  the  great  stream  of  German 
immigration  began  to  pour  into  the  valley  of  the  Shen- 
andoah.  As  we  have  seen,  there  were  Reformed  min- 
isters among  these  people,  but  it  is  now  impossible  to 
discover  the  extent  of  their  labors.  The  churches 
which  they  founded  were  almost  immediately  taken  up 
by  the  Episcopal  Church.  The  latter  was  in  those 
days  the  Established  Church  in  the  colony,  and  as  the 
episcopate  had  not  yet  been  established  in  America, 
the  Germans  found  it  easy  to  "conform,"  and  thus 
their  churches  became  entitled  to  receive  a  govern- 
ment stipend. 

Farther  south,  there  were  Reformed  people  among 
the  earliest  settlers.  In  North  Carolina,  two  Swiss  gen- 
tlemen, De  Graffenried  and  Michel,  founded  New  Berne 
in  1710,  and  in  1732,  John  Peter  Puny,  of  Neufchatel, 
laid  out  Purrysburg.  A  large  German  Church  was  estab- 
lished in  Charleston,  S.  C.,  under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  J.  J.  Zubly,  who  subsequently  removed  to  Savannah, 
Georgia,  and  founded  the  congregation  which  is  now 
known  as  the  Independent  Presbyterian  Church.  There 
it  was  his  custom,  for  many  years,  to  preach  regularly  in 


212  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

German,  English,  and  French.  In  an  extant  letter, 
written  in  1755,  he  mentions  the  fact  that  he  has  received 
a  letter  from  Schlatter,  requesting  him  to  attend  a  meet- 
ing of  the  Coetus  "  so  as  to  be  placed  in  proper  ecclesias- 
tical relations,"  and  he  seems  to  express  an  intention  of 
accepting  the  invitation,  but  there  is  no  evidence  that  his 
purpose  was  ever  accomplished. 

The  Reformed  Church  has  still  a  classis  in  North 
Carolina ;  but  it  no  longer  holds  its  earliest  settlements, 
and  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  it  has  not  a  single 
congregation.  The  last  of  the  South  Carolina  congrega- 
tions was  lost  to  the  Reformed  Church  about  fifty  years 
ago. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  take  a  more  extended  survey. 
The  causes  of  the  decline  which  almost  immediately  suc- 
ceeded the  establishment  of  the  Church  in  this  country, 
have  already  been  partially  indicated.  The  most  import- 
ant reason,  was,  however,  the  lack  of  ministers.  If  the 
large  sums  which  were  in  Europe  contributed  in  aid  of 
the  American  churches,  had  been  devoted  to  the  endow- 
ment of  a  good  literary  and  theological  school,  we 
believe  it  would  have  been  better,  in  the  end,  for  pastors 
and  people. 

STREAKS   OF   DAYLIGHT. 

We  believe  the  minutes  of  the  Coetus  between  1764 
and  1770  are  no  longer  extant.  Those  of  the  latter 
year,  which  are  in  the  library  of  the  Historical  Society, 
at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  plainly  indicate  that  a  great  change 


STREAKS   OF    DAYLIGHT.  213 

had  come  over  the  Church.  Of  the  early  ministers 
Leydich,  Waldschmidt  and  Du  Bois  alone  remained. 
Otterbein  was  at  the  time  absent  on  a  visit  to  Europe. 
A  new  generation  had  appeared  upon  the  scene,  and 
there  was  a  promise  of  better  things  to  come. 

Nicholas  Pomp,  who  was  at  this  time  the  President 
of  the  Coetus,  was  a  man  of  unusual  talents.  While 
pastor  at  Falkener  Swamp,  he  wrote  a  book  in  which 
he  defended  the  doctrines  of  the  Reformed  Church 
against  the  insidious  teachings  of  a  popular  book,  the 
"  Everlasting  Gospel "  of  Paul  Siegvt>lck.  His  son, 
Thomas  Pomp,  was  for  many  years  pastor  at  Easton, 
Penna. 

Equally  eminent  were  C.  D.  Weyberg  and  William 
Hendel.  Their  earnestness  and  piety  were  never  called 
into  question,  and  the  value  of  their  labors  cannot  be  too 
highly  estimated.  In  1788  the  college  of  New  Jersey 
conferred  upon  both  these  excellent  men  the  honorary 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity. 

The  other  ministers  present  at  the  Coetus  •  were 
Gros,  Faber,  Witmer,  Dallecker,  Gobrecht,  Foering, 
and  Henop.  Bucher  was  absent  on  account  of  illness. 
These  were  earnest  and  faithful  men,  who  may  be 
said  to  have  inaugurated  a  brighter  era  in  the  history 
of  the  Church.  Dr.  Weyberg  had  undertaken  the  task 
of  preparing  young  men  for  the  ministry,  and  at  this 
meeting  it  was  reported  that  Mr.  Casper  Wack  had 
already  pursued  his  studies  for  three  years  under  his 
direction. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Church   in   Maryland — The  Rev.    William    Otterbein  ana 
the  "United  Ministers."1 

ABOUT  the  year  1770,  the  Reformed  Church  in  Penn- 
sylvania began  to  show  signs  of  improvement,  but  the 
condition  of  the  congregations  in  Maryland  was  less  en- 
couraging. Most  of  the  latter  churches  were  independ- 
ent, and  their  relation  to  the  rest  of  the  Coetus  had  not 
been  properly  defined.  As  late  as  1773  the  "  Fathers  " 
in  Holland  declared  that  Maryland  did  not  fall  under 
their  jurisdiction ;  but  they  made  no  objection  to  the 
reception  by  the  Coetus  of  the  congregations  situated  in 
that  province.  It  was  felt  that  something  ought  to  be 
done  for  Maryland,  where  the  people  were  everywhere 
clamoring  for  religious  instruction.  The  lack  of  minis- 

o  o 

ters  /was  great,  and  the  Coetus,  therefore,  so  far  relaxed 
its  rules  as  to  ordain  several  pious  laymen  for  this  spec- 
ial work.  The  means  at  hand  were,  however,  entirely 
inadequate,  and  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that 
the  Coetus  heartily  welcomed  the  organization,  in  1774, 
by  the  Rev.  William  Otterbein  and  other  Reformed  min- 

lAn  article  by  the  author,  entitled  "Otterbein  and  the  Reformed 
Church,"  was  published  in  the  Reformed  Quarterly  Review  for  January, 
1884.  To  this  article  we  refer  our  readers  for  copies  of  original  docu- 
ments, and  for  further  information  concerning  the  subject  here  discussed. 


WILLIAM    OTTERBEIN.  215 

isters,  of  societies,  whose  main  object  was  to  promote 
discipline,  and  to  aid  pastors  in  the  work  of  cultivat- 
ing vital  piety  among  their  people. 

William  Otterbein1  was  born  June  3,  1726,  at  Dil- 
lenburg>  in  Nassau,  Germany.  His  father  and  grand- 
father were  Reformed  ministers,  and  five  of  his  brothers 
also  assumed  the  sacred  office.  He  was  one  of  the 
band  of  six  young  ministers  who,  in  1752,  accompanied 
Schlatter  to  America.  Immediately  on  his  arrival  he 
was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  of  Lancaster, 
which  was  then,  next  to  Philadelphia,  the  most  import- 
ant Reformed  congregation  in  Pennsylvania.  At  this 
place  he  built  a  church,  and,  under  the  direction  of 
Coetus,  performed  much  missionary  labor.  After  leav- 
ing Lancaster,  in  1758,  he  was  for  two  years  pastor  at 
Tulpehocken,  and  then  assumed  charge  of  the  Reformed 
church  at  Frederick,  Maryland.2  Here,  as  at  Lancas- 
ter, a  church  and  parsonage  were  erected,  which  in 
their  day  were  regarded  as  buildings  of  a  very  super- 
ior order. 

From  1765  to  1774,  Otterbein  was  pastor  of  the  Re- 
formed church  at  York,  Pennsylvania.  In  1770  and 

1  In  baptism  he  was  named  "  Philip  William,"  but  for  some  unknown 
reason  he  dropped  the  first  of  these  names  in  later  life. 

2  On  the   I  Qth  of  April,  1762,  while  he  was  pastor  at  Frederick,  Mr. 
Otterbein  was  married  to  Miss  Susan   Le   Roy,  of  Lancaster,  Pa.     She 
was  a  daughter  of  Abraham    Le   Roy,  a   native   of  Switzerland.     Her 
sister  Elizabeth  was  subsequently  married  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  W.  Hendel, 
Senior.     Mrs.  Otterbein  died   April   27,  1768,  and  was  buried  in  Lan- 
caster.    Hef  husband  remained  a  widower  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 


2l6  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

1771  he  was  absent  on  a  visit  to  his  relatives  in  Germany, 
but  his  people  would  not  give  him  up,  and  the  Church 
was  supplied,  at  their  request,  by  members  of  Coetus. 

We  are  inclined  to  doubt  the  stories  which  are  related 
concerning  the  "  big  meetings  "  which  Otterbein  is  said 
to  have  conducted  at  this  early  date.  He  was  no  doubt 
more  inclined  to  "  Pietism  "  than  some  of  his  brethren, 
though  not  to  such  a  degree  as  to  come  into  conflict 
with  them;  and  it  is,  of  course,  possible  that  he  may 
occasionally  have  participated  in  "  union  meetings ;"  but 
it  accords  better  with  ascertained  facts  to  believe  that 
those  meetings  which  have  become  historical  occurred 
somewhat  later  than  has  been  generally  supposed.  Tra- 
dition is  almost  certain  to  antedate  events.- 

In  17/4,  Mr.  Otterbein  accepted  a  call  from  the  Sec- 
ond Reformed  Church  of  the  city  of  Baltimore.  This 
congregation  had  seceded  from  the  First  Church  after  a 
protracted  conflict,  and  had  been  served  for  some  time 
by  the  Rev.  Benedict  Schwob.  The  latter  was  not  an 
educated  man,  but  having  begun  to  preach  in  the  hope  of 
supplying  the  pressing  need  of^the  churches  of  Maryland, 
he  developed  remarkable  talents  as  a  pulpit  orator,  and 
after  several  applications  to  the  Coetus,  was  finally  or- 
dained. A  party  in  the  church  of  Baltimore  was  greatly 
pleased  with  his  earnest  and  enthusiastic  preaching,  and 
desired  to  displace  their  pastor,  the  Rev.  John  Christo- 
pher Faber,  in  order  to  secure  his  services.  It  turned 
out  that  Mr.  Faber  had  more  friends  than  had  been  sup- 
posed, and  their  efforts  proved  unsuccessful.  Then  the 


WILLIAM    OTTERBEIN.  2IJ 

dissatisfied  party    withdrew  and    organized    the    second 
congregation. 

For  a  long  time  neither  party  had  regarded  the  sep- 
aration as  final,  and  by  mutual  consent  the  whole  matter 
was  referred  to  Coetus  for  adjudication,  though  the 
church  of  Baltimore  had  hitherto  been  independent. 
Every  possible  means  was  employed  to  restore  peace, 
and  several  times  it  appeared  as  though  the  desired  ob- 
ject had  been  attained ;  but  after  each  attempted  reconcil- 
iation, the  struggle  began  anew.  Mr.  Faber  finally  ac- 
cepted a  call  from  Taneytown,  but  the  First  Church 
irregularly  called  Rev,  W.  Wallauer  as  his  successor,  and 
thus  forfeited  the  good  opinion  of  the  Coetus,  whose 
sympathies  were  for  a  time  entirely  with  the  Second  con- 
gregation. After  the  withdrawal  of  Mr.  Schwob,  in 
1773,  the  latter  Church  called  Mr.  Otterbein,  but  the 
Coetus  still  hoped  to  reunite  the  congregations,  and  at 
first  declined  to  confirm  the  call  "  because  the  one  party 
was  too  greatly  prejudiced  against  him."  The  elders  of 
both  congregations  then  extended  a  call  to  the  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Hendel,  D.  D.,  but  the  First  Church  refused  to  con- 
firm the  action  of  its  delegates,  and  the  Second,  evidently 
felt  itself  authorized  to  renew  its  call  to  Mr.  Otterbein, 
who  finally  accepted  it.  In  1775  this  call  was  confirmed 
by  Coetus,  which  formally  expressed  its  satisfaction  at 
learning  that  *'  his  labors  are  blest,  and  the  opposing 
party  cease  from  strife."  Both  congregations  were  sub- 
sequently recognized  as  standing  in  regular  connection 
with  the  Coetus. 


2l8  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

In  1771  Francis  Asbury,  the  pioneer  of  American 
Methodism,  arrived  in  this  country.  As  is  well  known, 
he  did  not  proppse  to  establish  a  separate  religious 
denomination,  but,  in  furtherance  of  the  great  move- 
ment inaugurated  by  Wesley  and  his  coadjutors,  he 
founded  societies  whose  sole  condition  of  membership 
was  "  a  desire  to  flee  the  wrath  to  come  and  be  saved 
from  sin."  The  sacraments  were  not  administered  in 
these  Methodist  societies,  but  the  class  system  was 
introduced,  and  some  of  the  leaders  then  appointed 
subsequently  became  earnest  Methodist  ministers. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  Mr.  Asbury  became  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Schwob,  and  was  by  him  introduced  in  1774 
to  Mr.  Otterbein.  We  can  well  conceive  how  great 
must  have  been  the  impression  made  on  Otterbein  and 
Schwob  by  the  intimate  acquaintance  of  such  a  man 
as  Asbury.  Their  views  of  religious  truth  were  very 
similar,  and  it  was  but  natural  that  they  should  agree 
concerning  the  methods  of  its  promulgation.  Wesley's 
plan  of  founding  societies  and  holding  class-meetings 
cannot  have  been  new  to  Mr.  Otterbein.  It  was  based 
on  the  old  idea  of  the  "  ccclcsiola  in  ecclcsia"  which  had 
been  familiar  to  the  Reformed  people  of  Germany  since 
the  days  of  Jean  de  Labadie.  In  some  instances  such 
societies  had  accomplished  much  good,  and  as  in  Eu- 
rope the  State  was  careful  to  preserve  the  external 
organization  of  the  Church,  it  was  but  rarely  that  they 
resulted  in  schism. 

"What    was    more    natural    than    that    Otterbein    and 


UNITED    MINISTERS.  2!p 

Schwob  should  conceive  the  idea  of  introducing  the 
system  advocated  by  Mr.  Asbury  into  the  German 
Reformed  churches?  It  seemed  to  furnish  an  answer 
to  what  was  then  a  burning  question,  especially  in 
Maryland.  If  it  was  not  possible  to  obtain  regular 
pastors,  why  should  not  the  people  help  themselves  by 
organizing  class-meetings  in  their  respective  churches, 
under  the  direction  of  worthy  leaders,  who  would,  at 
least  in  some  measure,  promote  devotion  in  the  Church 
and  exercise  proper  discipline? 

That  this  class  system  was  actually  introduced  is 
evident  from  the  minutes  of  five  conventions,  found  by 
the  author  in  November,  1882,  among  the  records  of 
St.  Benjamin's  church,  near  Westminster,  Md.  These 
conventions  were  held  from  May,  1774,  to  June,  1776, 
by  six  Reformed  ministers,  who  called  themselves 
"United  Ministers."  The  ministers  were  Wm.  Otter- 
bein,  of  Baltimore;  Benedict  Schwob,  of  Pipe  Creek; 
Jacob  Weimer,  of  Hagerstown;  F.  L.  Henop,  of  Fred- 
erick; Daniel  Wagner,  of  York,  Pa.,  and  Wm.  Hendel, 
of  Tulpehocken,  Pa.1  It  appears  that  the  work  was  at 
this  time  confined  to  the  Reformed  Church,  and  that 
it  was  conducted  peaceably,  with  the  co-operation  of 
most  of  the  churches  in  Maryland  and  of  several  in 
Pennsylvania.  The  members  of  the  larger  congrega- 

1  On  thft  4th  of  June,  1776,  the  "United  Ministers"  licensed  Henry 
Weider,  one  of  their  earliest  class-leaders,  to  preach  the  Gospel.  The 
certificate  of  licensure  is  still  extant.  Weider  was  subsequently  pastor 
of  Reformed  churches  in  Adams  county,  Pa. 


22O        .  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

tions  were  generally  divided  into  two  classes,  but  in 
smaller  churches  a  single  class  was  deemed  sufficient. 
Some  of  the  classes  convened  in  the  church,  but  others 
held  their  meetings  at  the  houses  of  their  leaders. 

There  are,  so  far  as  we  know,  no  extant  documents 
bearing  on  the  progress  of  this  remarkable  religious 
movement  between  the  years  1776  and  1789.  It  is, 
however,  more  than  probable  that  soon  after  the  former 
date  peculiarities  of  doctrine  and  worship  began  to  ap- 
pear which  greatly  affected  the  character  of  the  "  unity." 
The  conferences  instituted  by  the  "  United  Ministers " 
became  "  great  meetings  "  of  the  type  which  are  familiar 
from  the  early  history  of  Methodism.  Among  those 
who  became  most  profoundly  interested  were  men  who 
were  not  connected  with  the  Reformed  Church,  and  who 
had  no  intention  of  becoming  identified  with  it.  It  was 
evident  that  a  new  type  of  Church  life  was  in  process  of 
development,  and  most  of  the  ministers  and  members  of 
the  Reformed  Church  therefore  gradually  withdrew  from 
the  organization.  This  process  was  no  doubt  facilitated 
by  the  fact  that  during  the  latter  part  of  the  Revolution- 
ary war  the  meetings  we  e  interrupted  by  the  disturbed 
state  of  the  country. 

Otterbein  probably  regarded  the  matter  in  a  somewhat 
different  light.  Like  Zinzendorf,  when  he  founded  the 
"  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit,"  he  seems  to  have 
imagined  that  the  Christians  of  various  denominations 
might  participate  in  a  "  higher  unity"  without  renounc- 
ing their  original  ecclesiastical  relations.  He  therefore 


WILLIAM    OTTERBEIN.  221 

continued  to  take  a  profound  interest  in  the  movement 
which  he  had  helped  to  inaugurate,  but  at  the  same  time 
was  careful  to  remain  in  regular  standing  in  the  Coetus 
of  the  Reformed  Church. 

For  thirty-nine  years  Mr.  Otterbein  was  pastor  of  the 
Second  Reformed  Church  of  Baltimore.  During  a  part 
of  this  period  he  occupied  a  position  which  is  at  present 
hard  to  comprehend.  He  was  not  independent  of  eccle- 
siastical relations,  as  has  sometimes  been  suggested,  but 
was  a  member  of  Coetus  in  good  and  regular  standing. 
At  the  same  time  he  labored  as  an  evangelist,  especially 
in  Maryland,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  leaders  in 
the  religious  movement  which  he  had  helped  to  inaugur- 
ate. One  at  least  of  the  original  class-leaders,  Geo. 
Adam  Gueting,  was  brought  by  him  to  the  Coetus  and 
there  ordained  to  the  ministry.  Otterbein  evidently  had 
no  idea  of  establishing  a  separate  religious  denomination; 
it  was  to  him  a  "  society "  rather  than  a  Church,  and 
therefore  from  1789  to  1804,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  act  as 
one  of  its  superintendents.1 

For  a  long  time  the  "  Brethren,"  with  whom  Mr. 
Otterbein  labored,  were  popularly  known  as  "  New  Re- 
formed," though  Martin  Boehm,  and  others  of  their 
most  prominent  leaders,  had  no  connection  with  the  Re- 
formed Church.  In  1804  there  occurred  an  event  which, 
it  has  been  said,  "  drove  the  wedge  of  separation."  The 
Rev.  G.  A.  Gueting,  whom  Otterbein  had  introduced  into 

1  Otterbein  was  also  favorable  to  the  Methodists,  and  in  1784  assisted 
Dr.  Coke  in  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Asbury. 


222  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

the  Reformed  ministry,  became  an  enthusiast  of  the  most 
pronounced  type,  whose  preaching  was  attended  by  ex- 
traordinary excitement.  Under  his  auspices  were  chiefly 
held  the  "  great  meetings  "  on  the  Antietam,  which  are 
not  yet  forgotten.  In  this  respect  he  went  much  further 
than  Mr.  Otterbein,  whose  disposition  was  more  quiet 
and  reflective.  Gueting  became  more  and  more  irregu- 
lar, and  as  he  did  not  heed  the  admonitions  of  Synod, 
was  finally  excluded  by  a  vote  of  twenty  to  seventeen. 
This  action  of  the  Synod  has  been  sharply  criticised,  but 
it  is  hard  to  see  how,  with  proper  self-respect,  that  body 
could  have  acted  differently.  There  was  no  reflection 
cast  on  the  personal  character  of  Mr.  Gueting,  but  the 
type  of  religion  which  he  represented  was  certainly 
foreign  to  that  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  it  is  pos- 
sible that  he  did  not  expect  or  desire  a  different  action 
on  the  part  of  the  Synod.  He  continued  to  labor  in  the 
manner  which  pleased  him  best,  and  his  memory  is 
greatly  cherished  in  the  Church  of  the  "United  Brethren 
in  Christ." 

Otterbein  attended  but  a  single  conference  of  the 
"  Brethren  "  after  the  exclusion  of  Gueting  from  the  Re- 
formed Synod.  This  was  in  1805,  after  which  date,  it 
has  been  said,  "  he  withdrew  from  the  active  work."  It 
is  true  that  he  was  advanced  in  years ;  but,  as  he  con  - 
tinued  in  charge  of  his  congregation  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1813,  eight  years  later,  this  suggestion 
as  to  the  cause  of  his  absence  is  not  entirely  satisfactory. 
Is  it  not  at  least  possible  that  after  the  Synod  had 


WILLIAM    OTTERBEIN.  223 

spoken  in  the  case  of  Gueting,  he  felt  that  he  could  no 
longer  attend  these  conferences  without  placing  himself 
in  a  position  of  antagonism  to  the  body  to  which  he 
owed  his  first  allegiance?  There  can,  however,  be  no 
doubt  that  he  was  warmly  attached  to  the  "  Brethren," 
and  that  the  latter  to  the  end  regarded  him  with  un- 
limited veneration.  He  must  have  foreseen  that  a  new 
denomination  was  unavoidable,  and  one  of  his  last 
official  acts  was  to  assist  in  giving  it  a  settled  ministry 
by  the  rite  of  ordination.  Thus  he  sent  it  forth  with  his 
benediction,  but  personally  preferred  to  remain  in  the 
Church  of  his  fathers.  It  will  be  remembered  that  J.  D. 
Aurand,  Henry  Hiestand,  Thomas  Winters,  and  perhaps 
others  who  had  participated  in  the  early  conferences,  al- 
so decided  to  remain  in  the  Reformed  Church,  of  which 
they  became  worthy  and  efficient  ministers.  Winters 
says  in  his  autobiography:  "  During  this  time"  (between 
1 809  and  1815)"!  was  strongly  urged  to  go  into  the 
organization  of  a  new  church,  which  was  then  in  process 
of  formation,  and  which  did  actually  come  into  being ; 
but  like  the  great  Otterbein,  whom  I  greatly  loved  and 
esteemed  for  his  piety  and  talents,  I  preferred  rather  to 
live  and  die  in  the  Reformed  Church." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Otterbein  continued 
a  member  of  the  Reformed  Synod  until  the  end  of 
his  life.  He  attended  its  meeting  held  in  Baltimore  in 
1 806,  one  year  after  he  was  present  for  the  last  time  at  a 
conference  of  the  "  Brethren,"  and  his  name  was  always 
retained  on  the  roll  of  its  members.  In  August,  1812, 


224  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

he  said  to  the  Rev.  Isaac  Gerhart :  "  I  too  am  a  member 
of  the  Synod  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  but  can- 
not attend  on  account  of  old  age."  He  was  at  that  time 
eighty- six  years  old.  His  congregation  was,  however, 
so  thoroughly  permeated  by  the  spirit  of  the  movement 
in  which  its  pastor  had  at  one  time  been  actively  en- 
gaged, that  after  his  death  it  became  possible  to  alienate 
it  from  the  Reformed  Church,  to  which  it  properly  be- 
longed. With  reference  to  the  personal  excellence  of  Mr. 
Otterbein  there  can  be  no  difference  of  opinion.  Even 
those  who  differed  from  him  with  respect  to  the  methods 
which  he  pursued,  were  impressed  by  his  unaffected 
piety  and  attracted  by  his  benevolent  disposition.  The 
religious  movement  in  which  he  took  so  prominent  a  part 
was  well  meant,  but  it  grew  beyond  its  original  plan,  and 
carried  him  further  than  he  had  intended.  It  is,  how- 
ever, pleasant  to  know  that  he  was  treated  by  the  Synod 
with  the  utmost  kindness  and  consideration,  and  that  to 
the  end  of  his  life  he  remained  in  full  communion  with 
the  Reformed  Church. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

The   Reformed    Ch^^rch    in    the   Revolution — Baron    Stetiben — 
Patriotic  Ministers — The  Loyalists. 

THE  War  of  the  Revolution  is  the  most  fascinating 
period  of  our  national  history.  It  has  been  greatly 
embellished  by  poetry  and  tradition,  and  its  stirring 
scenes  afford  frequent  employment  to  the  imaginative 
writers  of  the  present  generation.  Possibly,  in  the  dim 
light  of  the  past,  some  of  the  personages  of  that  momen- 
tous epoch  have  been  magnified  beyond  their  due  pro- 
portions; but  patriotism  demands  that  we  should  give 
reverence  to  the  memory  of  the  men  who  achieved  our 
national  independence. 

The  prominence  of  the  German  element  in  the  revolu- 
tionary struggle  will  hardly  be  called  into  question. 
There  were  German  regiments  in  the  Continental  army,1 
and  even  among  the  generals  of  "  the  line  "  there  were 
some  who  derived  their  lineage  from  the  Fatherland. 
Several  of  these,  like  De  Kalb  and  De  Woedtke,  were 
old  soldiers  whose  church  relations  it  might  be  difficult 
to  determine.  Muhlenberg  was,  of  course,  a  Lutheran. 


1  We  have  been  told  by  aged   people,  that   when  the  German  soldiers 
marched  into  battle  they  sang  a  song  with  the  refrain : 
"  England's  Georgel,  Kaiser,  Koenig, 
1st  fur  GOTT  und  uns  zu  wenig." 

15  "    (=25) 


226  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Of  the  others,  there  were  several  who  appear  to  have 
been  of  Reformed  descent,1  but  there  was  at  least  one 
celebrated  German  general  who  was  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Church : 

BARON   STEUBEN. 

Frederick  William,  Baron  von  Steuben,  was  born  in 
Magdeburg,  Germany,  on  the  I5th  of  November,  1/30. 
His  father,  who  was  a  distinguished  officer,  took  him 
early  to  war,  so  that  at  the  age  of  fourteen  he  was  a 
cadet  in  the  Prussian  army. 

The  earlier  years  of  Steuben's  manhood  were  spent  in 
the  service  of  Frederick  the  Great,  who  first  raised 
Prussia  to  the  rank  of  one  of  the  great  powers  of  Europe. 
Having  fought  gallantly  in  the  Seven  Years'  War,  he 
accepted  the  position  of  Grand  Marshal  at  the  Court  of 
one  of  the  minor  German  potentates.  Here  he  remained 
for  ten  years,  varying  the  monotony  of  his  duties  by 
making  extended  journeys  in  company  with  his  prince. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  he  found,  however,  that  the  little 
court  was  getting  too  hot  to  hold  him.  The  prince  and 
his  subjects  were  Roman  Catholics,  while  Steuben  was 
always  an  outspoken  Protestant,  and  it  was  therefore 
natural  that  his  intimate  relations  with  the  prince  were 
productive  of  much  jealousy.  Steuben  discovered  the 

•Gen.  Nicholas  Herkimer,  '-the  hero  of  Oriskany,"  was  the  son  of  a 
Palatine,  and  resided  at  Burnetsfield,  where  Rev.  G.  M.  Weis  was  once 
pastor.  His  will  is  signed  "  Nicholas  Herckheimer,"  and  this  was,  no 
iloubt,  the  proper  orthography. 


BARON   STEUBEN.  22J 

storm  while  it  was  brewing,  and  prudently  retired  before 
it  had  reached  its  height.  After  spending  some  time  at 
several  of  the  German  courts,  he  determined,  in  17/7,  to 
pay  a  visit  to  friends  in  England.  On  the  way  he  made, 
in  Paris,  the  acquaintance  of  Franklin  and  Deane,  the 
American  commissioners,  who  invited  him  to  accept  a 
commission  in  America.  They  felt  that  the  young 
republic  needed  such  a  drill-master  as  the  baron,  to  bring 
order  out  of  the  chaos  of  the  Continental  army. 

It  was  long  before  Baron  Steuben  could  make  up  his 
mind  to  accept  the  invitation;  but  he  had  seen  so  much 
of  the  hollowness  of  courts,  that  he  felt  irresistibly 
drawn  towards  the  struggling  colonists.  At  last  he  set 
sail  in  a  vessel  that  was  full  of  articles  which  were  con- 
traband of  war.  They  had  a  long  and  dangerous  pass- 
age. The  ship  was  three  times  on  fire,  and  the  hatches 
full  of  gunpowder.  Once  the  crew  mutinied,  and  the 
passengers  were  compelled  to  quell  the  disturbance. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  1777,  they  arrived  at  Ports- 
mouth, New  Hampshire,  whence  the  baron  and  his  suite 
were  compelled  to  proceed  on  horseback  to  York,  Pa., 
where  Congress  was  then  in  session. 

For  a  while  the  baron  appeared  greatly  depressed,  not 
understanding  a  single  word  that  was  spoken  by  the 
people.;  but  when  they  arrived  in  Pennsylvania  he 
seemed  like  another  man.  The  tones  of  his  mother 
tongue  fell  like  music  on  his  ear.  At  York  he  was  re- 
ceived with  open  arms.  His  recommendations  were  laid 
before  Congress,  and  he  was  directed  in  the  most  com- 


228  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

plimentary  manner  to  proceed  to  Valley  Forge,  to  report 
to  General  Washington. 

It  was  the  most  gloomy  period  in  the  Revolution.  The 
soldiers  were  ill-clad  and  discontented,  and  there  were 
probably  but  few  who  anticipated  the  success  of  the 
American  cause.  Washington  appointed  Steuben  to  the 
office  of  Inspector-General,  and  he  at  once  set  about  the 
work  of  re-organizing  the  army.  He  drilled  the  men  al- 
most incessantly,  which,  he  said,  was  good  for  them,  as 
it  kept  them  from  freezing.  In  a  few  weeks  the  army 
was  drilled ;  and  "  after  this,"  says  Lossing,  "  the  Con- 
tinental regulars  were  never  beaten  in  a  fair  fight." 

General  Steuben  did  his  full  duty  to  the  end  of  the 
war,  commanding  a  division  in  several  battles,  and  finally 
directing  the  trenches  at  the  siege  of  Yorktown.  It  was 
long  before  he  received  any  compensation  for  his  ser- 
vices, in  consequence  of  the  impoverished  condition  of 
the  national  treasury.  The  States  of  New  York,  Penn- 
sylvania and  New  Jersey,  however,  presented  him  with 
tracts  of  wild  land,  and,  in  1790,  the  general  government 
added  an  annuity  of  twenty-five  hundred  dollars. 

Baron  Steuben  survived  the  war  of  the  Revolution 
eleven  years,  during  which  time  he  resided  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  generally  spending  the  summer  months 
on  his  land  in  Oneida  county.  He  was  a  ruling  elder  ot 
the  German  Reformed  Church  in  Nassau  street,  of  which 
Rev.  Dr.  Gros  was  pastor.  The  whole  community 
treated  him  with  the  utmost  respect,  and  it  is  related 
that  during  a  riot  the  angry  crowd  made  way  for  him  to 
pass,  and  gave  "  Three  cheers  for  Baron  Stcnbcn!" 


PATRIOTIC    MINISTERS.  22Q 

After  the  baron's  death,  his  aide,  General  North,  very 
properly  erected  a  tablet  in  the  church  of  which  he 
had  been  a  member,  bearing  the  inscription :  "  Sacred 
to  the  memory  of  FREDERICK  WILLIAM  AUGUSTUS, 
BARON  DE  STEUBEN,  a  German;  Knight  of  the  Order 
of  Fidelity;  Aid-de-Camp  of  Frederick  the  Great,  King 
of  Prussia;  Major-General  and  Inspector- General  of 
the  Revolutionary  War;  esteemed,  respected  and  sup- 
ported by  Washington.  He  gave  military  skill  and 
discipline  to  the  citizen  soldiers,  who,  fulfilling  the 
decree  of  Heaven,  achieved  the  Independence  of  the 
United  States.  The  highly  polished  manners  of  the 
Baron  were  graced  by  the  most  noble  feelings  of  the 
heart.  His  hand,  open  as  day  for  melting  charity,  closed 
only  in  the  strong  grasp  of  death.  This  memorial  is 
inscribed  by  an  American,  who  had  the  honor  to  be 
his  aide-de-camp,  the  happiness  to  be  his  friend.  Ob. 

I795-" 

Though  Baron  Steuben  had  his  faults,  like  other  men, 
all  our  authorities  agree  in  declaring  him  to  have  been 
as  brave  and  honorable  a  German  as  ever  crossed  the 
ocean.  The  Reformed  Church  should  not  cease  to  do 
honor  to  the  memory  of  her  distinguished  son. 

PATRIOTIC    MINISTERS. 

« 

The  ministers  of  the  German  Reformed  Church  con- 
nected with  the  Coetus,  appear  to  have  been  generally 
earnest  advocates  of  independence.  In  their  official 
communications  with  Holland  it  was  not  to  be  expected 


230  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

that  they  should  express  themselves  freely  on  the  ques- 
tions at  issue,  but  it  is  to  be  observed  that  they  speak 
of  the  British  as  "the  enemy."  Days  of  fasting  and 
prayer  were  appointed,  and  their  proceedings  have 
throughout  a  melancholy  tone.  Tradition  has  it  that 
some  of  the  ministers  in  preaching  on  these  fast-days, 
chose  texts  which  sufficiently  expressed  their  political 
sentiments.  Rev.  John  H.  Weikel,  pastor  of  Boehm's 
church,  Montgomery  county,  Pennsylvania,  got  into 
trouble  at  the  beginning  of  the  war  by  preaching  on 
the  text :  "  Better  is  a  poor  and  wise  child  than  an  old 
and  foolish  king  who  will  no  more  be  admonished." 
Ecclesiastes,  iv.  13. 

Rev.  C.  D.  Weyberg,  D.  D.,  of  the  Race  street 
Reformed  church,  Philadelphia,  was  imprisoned  for  his 
patriotism,  and  his  church  occupied  by  British  soldiers. 
He  had  not  only  preached  patriotic  sermons  to  the 
American  soldiers,  but  had  subsequently  addressed  the 
Hessians  on  the  justice  of  the  American  cause;  and  it 
is  asserted  that  unless  he  had  been  silenced,  the  whole 
body  of  mercenaries  would  have  left  the  British  ser- 
vice. On  the  first  Sunday  after  his  liberation  he  sug- 
gestively addressed  his  congregation  on  the  words, 
"O  God!  the  heathen  have  come  into  Thine  inherit- 
arjce:  Thy  holy  temple  have  they  defiled."  Psalm 
Ixxix.  I.  The  text  had  a  certain  appropriateness,  for 
it  is  recorded  that  the  church  had  been  so  greatly 
injured  by  the  British  occupation,  that  the  cost  of 
repairing  it  was  fifteen  thousand  two  hundred  dollars. 


PATRIOTIC    MINISTERS. 


231 


Several  other  German  Reformed  ministers  are  also 
entitled  to  revolutionary  honors.  Schlatter,  it  will  be 
remembered,  was  imprisoned  for  his  sympathy  with  the 
American  cause.  Hendel  was  accompanied  by  armed 
men  when  he  went  to  preach  in  Lykens  Valley — the 
guards  standing  at  the  door  to  protect  him  from  the 


WEYBERG  AMONG  THE  SOLDIERS. 


Indians,  who  had  become  hostile  through  British  influ- 
ence. Rev.  John  Conrad  Bucher,  who  had  been  a 
military  officer  during  the  French  and  Indian  war,  and 


232  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

had  resigned  his  position  to  become  a  minister  of  the 
gospel,  certainly  visited  the  army  and  preached  to  the 
soldiers,  if  he  was  not  a  regular  chaplain.  Rev.  J.  C. 
A.  Helftenstein  was  pastor  at  Lancaster  at  the  time 
when  the  captive  Hessians  were  kept  there,  and  it  fre- 
quently became  his  duty  to  preach  to  them.  "  On  one 
occasion,"  says  Dr.  Harbaugh,  "  he  preached  on  the 
text,  Isaiah,  lii.  3;  'For  thus  saith  the  Lord,  Ye  have 
sold  yourselves  for  nought  and  ye  shall  be  redeemed 
without  money.'  '  This  sermon  caused  a  good  deal  of 
excitement  and  offence  among  the  captives.  On  another 
occasion  he  preached  a  discourse  in  the  church,  in  the 
evening,  on  the  words :  '  If  the  Son  make  you  free,  ye 
shall  be  free  indeed,'  when  the  excitement  was  so  great 
that  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  accompany  him  home 
with  a  g'uard.  Once  he  preached  to  the  American 
soldiers  on  their  departure  for  the  scene  of  conflict 
from  the  words:  'If  God  be  for  us,  who  can  be 
against  us?"1 

We  have  no  room  to  speak  at  length  ot  all  the 
members  of  the  Reformed  Church  who  distinguished 
themselves  during  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  but  we 
cannot  refrain  from  referring  to  an  incident  which  illus- 
trates the  patriotism  of  the  Reformed  people  of  Phil- 
adelphia. •  When  General  Richard  Montgomery  was 
killed  in  the  famous  attack  on  the  city  of  Quebec,  Dr. 
William  Smith  delivered  his  eulogy  in  the  Race  street 
Reformed  Church,  on  February  19,  1776.  "At  that 
time,"  says  Dr.  Van  Home,  the  present  pastor,  "the 


PATRIOTIC    MINISTERS.  233 

opinions  of  citizens  were  very  much  divided  on  the 
subject  of  the  war,  and  no  greater  proof  of  their  loy- 
alty to  the  American  cause  could  be  given  by  pastor 
and  people  than  the  opening  of  their  new  and  highly- 
prized  house  of  worship  for  this  purpose." 

In  1789  the  Coetus,  assembled  in  Philadelphia,  ad- 
dressed a  communication  to  General  Washington,  con- 
gratulating him  on  his  election  to  the  Presidency,  and 
at  the  same  time  expressing  sentiments  of  the  most 
exalted  patriotism.  In  his  reply,  the  General  declared 
himself  extremely  gratified  by  this  expression  of  good 
will,  and  presented  to  the  Coetus  his  most  cordial 
wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  the  Reformed  churches. 

We  may  mention,  in  this  connection,  that  in  1793, 
during  the  prevalence  of  the  yellow  fever  in  Philadel- 
phia, Gen.  Washington  made  his  home  for  several 
months  in  the  family  of  Rev.  Dr.  F.  L.  Herman,  then 
pastor  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Germantown.  At 
that  time  the  General  frequently  attended  worship  in 
the  Reformed  church  when  the  services  were  held  in 
English,  and  there  is  a  tradition  that  he  once  received 
the  communion  with  the  congregation.  When  the 
great  chieftain  died,  a  memorial  address  before  the 
Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  consisting  of  the  officers  of 
the  Revolution,  was  delivered  in  the  Reformed  church 
on  Race  street,  Philadelphia,  by  Major  William  Jack- 
son, who  had  held  the  position  of  Secretary  in  the 
Convention  which  formed  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States. 


234  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

THE   LOYALISTS. 

A  century  has  passed,  and  we  may  now  venture  to  ex- 
press a  few  words  of  pity  for  those  Americans  who 
opposed  the  cause  of  Independence  and  persisted  in 
their  allegiance  to  the  King  of  Great  Britain.  For  the 
men  who  took  up  arms  against  their  native  country  we 
can  have  but  little  sympathy ;  but  among  those  of  more 
pacific  disposition  there  were  some  of  the  foremost  men 
in  the  colonies,  who,  for  their  devotion  to  a  mistaken 
principle,  were  compelled  to  sacrifice  their  possessions 
and  to  seek  a  refuge  in  a  foreign  land.  - 

It  may  appear  strange  to  the  present  generation,  that 
among  those  who  were  contemptuously  called  Tofies, 
there  should  have  been  men  of  German  birth,  who  can- 
not be  supposed  to  have  been  moved  by  natural  affection 
for  the  British  monarchy.  It  should,  however,  be  re- 
membered that  these  men  had  but  recently  taken  an 
oath  of  allegiance  to  the  crown  of  England,  by  which 
they  regarded  themselves  as  permanently  bound.  They 
failed  to  see  that  this  oath  was  of  the  nature  of  a  contract 
which  had  already  been  broken  by  the  tyranny  of  Great 
Britain. 

In  each  of  the  German  denominations  there  were  a 
few  ministers  and  members  who  were  regarded  as  Loyal- 
ists. Of  these  we  will  mention  two  Reformed  ministers 
whose  brilliant  usefulness  was  utterly  destroyed  in  the 
manner  which  we  have  just  indicated. 

John  Michael  Kern  was  a  native  of  Manheim,  in 
Germany.  After  receiving  a  thorough  education  he  was 


THE    LOYALISTS.  235 

sent  to  this  country  in  1763,  by  the  Consistory  of 
Heidelberg,  to  take  charge  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  on  Nassau  street,  New  York.  We  do  not  know 
whether  he  became  a  member  of  the  Coetus,  as  the 
minutes  of  that  period  are  lost ;  but  the  fact  that  his 
favorite  pupil  and  successor,  Dr.  Gros,  was  a  member 
of  that  body,  renders  it  more  than  probable.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  Revolution  Mr.  Kern  became  an  en- 
thusiastic loyalist,  believing  that  in  America  neither 
church  nor  state  was  prepared  for  independence.  Unable 
to  sustain  himself  m  New  York,  where  his  congregation 
held  opposite  political  principles,  he  removed  to  Mont- 
gomery, and  soon  afterwards  to  Halifax,  where  he  re- 
mained till  long  after  the  close  of  the  war.  In  1788  he 
came  to  Pennsylvania  and  located  in  Rockhill  township, 
Bucks  county,  where  he  died'  March  22d  of  the  same 
year.  He  had  sacrificed  his  all,  and,  poor  and  heart- 
sick, he  came  to  lay  his  bones  among  his  own  people. 

John  Joachim  Zubly,  D.  D.  (name  also  written 
Zubley,  Ziibli,  and  Zublein),  was  briefly  mentioned  in 
a  previous  chapter.  He  was  born  at  St.  Gall,  Switz- 
erland, August  24,  1724.  His  father  emigrated  to 
Carolina  with  his  family  in  1726.  The  son  was  taken 
back  to  Europe,  educated  at  Halle,  ordained  at  Chur 
in  1744,  and  then  returned  to  America. 

His  first  charge  was  in  Pennsylvania,  but  the  local- 
ity is  now  unknown.  In  1754  we  find  him  at  Charles- 
ton, S.  C,  and  about  1758  at  Savannah.  The  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was  conferred  upon  him  in  1770 


236  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

by  the  College  of  New  Jersey.  At  this  time  his  cor- 
respondents were  among  the  foremost  men  of  the  coun- 
try— his  influence  in  Georgia  was  very  great,  and  at 
the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  he  found  himself  com- 
pelled by  circumstances  to  take  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1775,  Dr.  Zubly  preached  an 
eloquent  sermon,  afterwards  published  in  Philadelphia, 
before  the  Provincial  Congress  then  assembled  in  Sa- 
vannah. The  title-page  bears  the  suggestive  Scrip- 
tural motto:  "Ephraim  shall  not  envy  Judah,  and 
Judah  shall  not  vex  Ephraim."  Isaiah  xi.  13. 

On  the  loth  of  July,  1775,  Dr.  Zubly  and  four 
others  were  selected  to  represent  the  Colony  of  Georgia 
in  the  adjourned  session  of  Congress,  which  convened 
in  Philadelphia  in  September  of  the  same  year.  He 
declined  to  accept  the  appointment  unless  his  congre- 
gation should  give  its  consent.  A  committee  was  then 
sent  to  consult  with  the  people,  and  they  finally  agreed 
"to  spare  their  minister  for  a  time  for  the  good  of 
the  common  cause." 

For  three  or  four  months  Dr.  Zubly  was  a  member 
of  the  Continental  Congress.  At  this  time  he  wrote 
his  Appeal  to  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth  in  behalf  of  the 
Liberties  of  America.  In  his  answer  to  Paine's  "Com- 
mon Sense,"  occurs  the  following  passage,  which  suffi- 
ciently 'indicates  the  nature  of  his  political  sentiments: 
"The  author  looks  upon  an  entire  separation  from 
Great  Britain  not  as  a  last  remedy,  but  as  a  new  and 


THE    LOYALISTS.  237 

dangerous  disease;  and  earnestly  prayeth  that  America, 
in  that  connection,  may  soon  and  forever  enjoy  that 
constitution  and  freedom  which  her  representatives  so 
justly  claim." 

Early  in  1776,  while  Congress  was  engaged  in  dis- 
cussing the  question  of  independence,  Samuel  Chase, 
of  Maryland,  publicly  accused  Dr.  Zubly  of  holding 
treasonable  correspondence  with  Sir  James  Wright, 
Colonial  Governor  of  Georgia.  How  much  truth  was 
contained  in  this  accusation  it  might  now  be  impossible 
to  determine ;  but  it  is  hard  to  understand  how  such  cor- 
respondence— which  may  have  been  entirely  personal — 
could  be  construed  as  treasonable,  previous  to  the 
Declaration  of  Independence.  Soon  afterwards  Dr. 
Zubly  suddenly  left  Congress  and  returned  to  Georgia 
for  the  purpose  of  using  his  influence  in  opposition  to  a 
separation  from  the  mother  country.  He  must,  how- 
ever, have  soon  discovered  that  he  had  mistaken  the 
signs  'of  the  times.  His  great  popularity  vanished 
almost  immediately,  even  in  the  place  of  his  residence. 
In  1777  he  was  banished  from  Savannah  with  the  loss  of 
half  of  his  estate.  He  found  a  refuge  in  South  Carolina, 
where  he  remained  until  the  royal  government  was  re- 
established in  Georgia  in  1779.  Then  he  resumed  his 
ministerial  charge  in  Savannah,  and  there  abode  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  July  23,  1781.  Two  of  the 
streets  of  Savannah,  Joachim  and  Zubly,  are  named  after 
him,  and  one  of  the  hamlets  of  the  town,  St.  Gall,  yet 
records  the  name  of  his  native  place  in  Switzerland. 


238  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

If  Dr.  Zubly  had  remained  in  Congress  a  few  months 
longer,  he  would  have  become  a  Signer  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence.  In  that  case  his  memory  would, 
no  doubt,  have  been  highly  cherished,  especially  by  the 
German  people  of  the  United  States.  Though  his 
career  is  now  almost  forgotten,  let  us  not  refuse  to  grant 
him  a  place  among  the  worthies  whose  names  adorn  the 
history  of  the  Reformed  Church. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

After  the  Revolution — Rev.  John   William   Weber — Educational 
Movements — Franklin    College —  The  Last  Years  of  the  Coelus. 

THE  years  intervening  between  the  close  of  the  Revo- 
lution and  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution  fur- 
nish few  materials  for  the  history  of  Church  or  State. 
The  country  had  not  yet  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
the  war,  and  the  States  were  practically  independent, 
hardly  recognizing  the  authority  of  Congress.  It  is, 
therefore,  not  surprising  that  in  this  gloomy  period  the 
Reformed  Church  should  have  manifested  but  few  signs 
of  vigorous  activity.  The  most  important  event  was, 
perhaps,  the  settlement  in  1783,  of  Rev.  John  William 
Weber,  as  pastor  of  several  congregations  which  had 
been  recently  organized  in  Westmoreland  county,  Penn- 
sylvania. He  was  the  founder  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  Greensburg,  and  was  the  first  minister  of  any  denomi- 
nation who  preached  regularly  in  Pittsburg.  Mr.  Weber 
may,  therefore,  be  regarded  as  the  pioneer  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  it  was  a 
graceful  act  when  the  Westmoreland  classis,  in  1874, 
erected  a  handsome  monument  to  his  memory. 

The  difficulty  of  securing  educated  ministers  for  ser- 
vice in  America  had  rather  increased  than  diminished. 

In  1786  Frederick   L  Herman  and  George  Troldcnier, 

(239) 


24O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

the  last  of  the  missionaries  sent  by  the  Synods  of  Hol- 
land, arrived  in  this  country;  and  indeed,  for  many 
previous  years  the  number  of  ministers  arriving  from 
Germany  had  been  so  small  that  it  was  impossible  to  de- 
pend upon  this  source  of  supply.  To  send  young  men 
to  the  Fatherland  to  be  educated  was  dangerous  and  ex- 
pensive, and  in  this  country  there  was  no  institution 
where  the  course  of  instruction  was  believed  to  be  suited 
to  the  requirements  of  German  students1.  In  the  hope 
of  meeting  these  wants,  Dr.  J.  C.  Kunze,  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  of  Philadelphia,  had  established  a  classical 
school,  which  was  finally  superseded  by  the  German  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  conducted 
by  Dr.  Helmuth.  This  bilingual  arrangement  did  not 
work  very  well,  and  it  was  not  expected  to  be  permanent. 
In  New  York  Dr.  Gros  held,  besides  his  pastorate,  a 
professorship  in  Columbia  College,  and  instructed  a  few 
German  students,  among  whom  were  Milledoler  and  the 
younger  Hendel.  These  arrangements  could,  however, 
only  meet  the  wants  of  isolated  students,  and  more  ex- 
tensive educational  facilities  were  imperatively  demanded. 
Neither  the  Reformed  nor  the  Lutheran  Church  felt  it- 
self strong  enough  to  establish  a  literary  institution,  and 
both  Churches,  therefore,  welcomed  an  enterprise  of  a 
more  general  nature  which  proposed  to  provide  facilities 
for  higher  education  for  the  entire  German  community. 

lln  1782  the  Coetus  requested  the  Synods  of  Holland  to  establish  a 
High  School  in  Pennsylvania  for  the  education  of  ministers  of  the  Gospel. 
The  reply  to  this  request  is  not  known. 


EDUCATIONAL   MOVEMENTS.  241 

FRANKLIN    COLLEGE. 

The  beginning  of  the  year  1787  was  believed  to  be 
especially  auspicious  for  the  foundation  of  a  German 
college.  The  country  had  now  in  some  degree  recov- 
ered from  the  Revolution,  and  was  about  to  adopt  a 
Federal  Constitution.  Many  ancient  prejudices  had 
passed  away,  and  there  was  a  kindly  feeling  towards 
the  Germans  for  their  patriotism  during  the  war  of 
independence.  The  leading  ministers  of  the  Lutheran 
and  Reformed  Churches  were  on  terms  of  affectionate 
intimacy;  and  it  was  believed  that  by  their  co-opera- 
tion with  the  members  of  the  German  Society  of  Phil- 
adelphia, who  were  deeply  interested  in  the  move- 
ment, an  important  work  could  be  performed  for  the 
literary  advancement  of  the  German  people.  It  was, 
of  course,  never  intended  to  establish  a  purely  Ger- 
man institution ;  but  it  was  believed  that  by  the  culti- 
vation of  both  languages  it  might  be  possible  to  bring 
the  German  and  English  citizens  more  closely  together, 
and  thus  to  advance  the  social  and  literary  interests 
of  the  entire  community. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  the  most  eminent  citizen  of  Penn- 
sylvania, was  instrumental  in  the  establishment  of  many 
philanthropic  institutions.  Among  these  we  may  men- 
tion the  Philadelphia  Library,  the  Pennsylvania  Hos- 
pital, the  American  Philosophical  Society,  and  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  It  would  be  ungracious, 
we  think,  to  refuse  to  recognize  him  as  the  founder 

of  Franklin    College.     Though   advanced    in   years,  he 
16 


242  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

took  a  deep  interest  in  the  new  institution,  and  was 
the  largest  individual  contributor  to  its  endowment. 

It  was  expected  by  the  friends  of  the  proposed  insti- 
tution that  the  Legislative  Assembly  would  make  a 
considerable  appropriation  towards  its  endowment  In 
this  expectation  they  were  disappointed.  By  the  incor- 
porating act,  ten  thousand  acres  of  land  lying  within 
the  boundaries  of  the  present  counties  of  Lycoming, 
Venango,  and  Bradford,  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
were  granted  to  the  college,  the  expenses  of  survey- 
ing to  be  paid  out  of  the  treasury  of  the  State.  In 
February,  1788,  an  act  was  passed  for  "vesting  the 
public  storehouse  and  two  lots  of  ground  in  the  bor- 
ough and  county  of  Lancaster  in  the  trustees  of  Frank- 
lin College  for  the  use  of  said  institution."  The  donated 
lands  were  at  that  time  unsalable,  and  the  old  store- 
house required  extensive  alterations  before  it  could 
be  used  as  a  college-building.  We  have  no  means 

o  o 

of  knowing  how  large  a  sum  was  raised  by  private 
subscription,  but  it  is  evident  that  it  was  utterly  inad- 
equate to  its  intended  purpose.  Many  years  passed 
before  the  land  which  had  been  granted  by  the  Leg- 
islature became  sufficiently  valuable  to  be  sold  to 
advantage,  and  thus  to  furnish  the  nucleus  of  a  respect- 
able endowment. 

Though  the  Legislature  had  granted  the  public  store- 
house at  Lancaster  for  a  college-building,  it  was  found 
necessary  to  make  an  addition  to  the  original  structure. 
The  laying  of  the  corner-stone  was  performed  by  Ben- 


FRANKLIN    COLLEGE.  243 

jamin  Franklin,  and  was  one  of  his  latest  official  acts. 
On  this  occasion  he  was  accompanied  by  a  French 
author,  Hector  St.  Jean  Crevecceur,  who,  in  his  book 
("Voyage  dans  ia  Haute  Pennsylvanie,")  has  preserved  a 
record  of  the  event.  He  says,  "  In  the  year  1787  I 
accompanied  the  venerable  Franklin,  at  that  time  Gover- 
nor of  Pennsylvania,  on  a  journey  to  Lancaster,  where  he 
had  been  invited  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  a  college 
which  he  had  founded  there  for  the  Germans."  The 
author  then  proceeds  to  give  an  account  of  a  conversa- 
tion with  Franklin  concerning  the  origin  of  the  Ameri- 
can Indians.  It  is  a  pity  that  he  did  not  rather  speak  at 
length  of  the  exercises  attendant  upon  the  laying  of  the 
corner-stone. 

When  the  college-building  was  ready  to  be  occupied, 
the  institution  was  formally  opened  in  the  mast  impres- 
sive manner.  Several  copies  of  the  programme  are  still 
extant,  one  of  which  is  in  the  possession  of  the  author. 
It  is  printed  both  in  German  and  English,  on  the  same 
sheet.  There  was  a  grand  procession  in  which  many 
dignitaries  participated.  The  Reformed  Coetus,  which 
was  then  holding  its  annual  meeting  in  Lancaster  was 
present  in  a  body.  The  German  part  of  the  programme 
includes  several  beautiful  original  hymns  which  were 
probably  composed  by  Rev.  Dr.  Helmuth.  There  is 
also  an  English  ode  of  unknown  authorship,  which  was 
sung  on  the  occasion,  and  which  we  quote  as  illustrative 
both  of  the  literary  tastes  of  the  period  and  of  the  ex- 
alted expectations  of  the  friends  of  the  new  college  : 


244  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

1.  Strophe. 
Hail,  ye  Banks  of  Conestogoe ! 

Fertile,  favor'd  Region,  hail! 
Chosen  seat  of  FRANKLIN  CoLLEor, 

What  but  Good  can  here  prevail  ? 
Science  never  comes  alone, 

Peace  and  Plenty, 
Heaven  itself  support  her  Cause  ! 

1.  Antistrophe. 
Creator,  hail !  thy  Light  and  Glory 

Rejoice  the  Good,  the  Bad  dismay, 
Dispel  the  mists  of  Vice  and  Folly, 

And  consecrate  this  happy  day. 
Now  doubly  bless  the  favor'd  Region, 
Where  Science  joins  with  mild  Religionj 
To  raise  their  grateful  Hymns  to  GOD. 

2,  Strophe. 

• 

By  Jehovah's  care  protected 

The  Fabric  gains  a  height  sublime ; 

Truth  expands  its  bright  effulgence, 
Error  seeks  another  clime. 

All  its  base  and  dark  attendants, 
Superstition, 

Pride  and  Discord  fly  from  Truth. 

2.  Antistrophe. 

All  in  the  glorious  work  assisting, 

We  build  on  Christ  the  corner-stone ; 
The  walls  may  bear  diverse  directions, 

The  building  still  shall  be  but  one. 
Devotion  pure  and  peaceful  science, 
United,  bid  their  foes  Defiance, 
While  Time  remains  the  work  shall  stand. 


FRANKLIN    COLLEGE.  245 

Sermons  were  preached  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  H.  E. 
Muhlenberg  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Hutchins,  rector  of 
the  Episcopal  church — the  former  in  German  and  the 
latter  in  English.  Both  sermons  were  published  in 
pamphlet  form,  the  latter  not  until  1 806,  nineteen  years 
after  its  delivery.  In  his  discourse  Mr.  Hutchins  took 
occasion  to  recommend  that  the  new  institution  should 
be  prevailingly  English.  "As  the  limited  capacity  of 
man,"  he  said,  "can  seldom  attain  excellence  in  more 
than  one-  language,  the  study  of  English  will  conse- 
quently demand  the  principal  attention  of  your  chil- 
dren." However  innocent  such  utterances  may  now 
appear  to  have  been,  they  were  hardly  prudent  under 
the  circumstances.  It  would  have  been  better  to  em- 
ploy language  like  that  of  Benjamin  Rush  in  his 
"  Essay  on  the  Germans,"  written  two  years  later :  "  Do 
not  contend  with  their  prejudices  in  favor  of  their 
language.  It  will  be  the  channel  through  which  the 
knowledge  and  -discoveries  of  the  wisest  nations  in 
Europe  may  be  conveyed  into  our  country." 

The  first  board  of  trustees  of  Franklin  College  con- 
sisted of  the  following  gentlemen:  Hons.  Thomas  Mif- 
flin  and  Thomas  McKean,  Revs.  John  H.  C.  Helmuth, 
Caspar  Weyberg,  Henry  Muhlenberg,  William  Hendel, 
Nicholas  Kurtz,  George  Troldenier,  John  Herbst,  Joseph 
Hutchins,  Frederic  Weyland,  Albertus  Helffenstein,  W. 
Ingold,  Jacob  Van  Buskirk,  Abraham  Blumer,  Fred- 
eric Dallicker,  C.  E.  Shultz,  F.  V.  Meltzheimer,  Messrs. 
John  Hubley,  Joseph  Hiester,  Casper  Scharfner,  Peter 


24.6  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

Hoofnagle,  Christopher  Crawford,  Paul  Zantzinger, 
Adam  Hubley,  Adam  Reigart,  Jasper  Yeates,  Stephen 
Chambers,  Robert  Morris,  George  Clymer,  Philip 
Wager,  William  Bingham,  William  Hamilton,  Benja- 
min Rush,  M.  D.,  William  Ravvle,  Lewis  Farmer, 
Christopher  Kucher,  Philip  Groenvvaldt,  Michael  Hahn, 
George  Stake,  Sr.,  and  John  Musser. 

This  was  a  very  intelligent  and  distinguished  body. 
The  clergymen  named  were  generally  the  foremost 
men  in  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Churches.  In- 
cluded in  the  list  were  a  number  of  eminent  Revolu- 
tionary officers  and  four  of  the  Signers  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence. 

The  charter,  as  granted  by  the  Legislature,  appears 
at  first  sight  to  have  been  sufficiently  liberal  and  com- 
prehensive. The  faculty  and  board  of  trustees  were 
authorized  to  grant  such  degrees  in  science  and  the 
liberal  arts  "as  are  usually  granted  in  other  colleges 
in  America  and  Europe."  The  college  was  author- 
ized to  hold  property  and  receive  bequests,  "provided 
always  the  same  do  not  exceed  in  the  whole  the 
yearly  value  of  ten  thousand  pounds,  valuing  one  Por- 
tugal half  Johannes,  weighing  nine  penny-weight,  at 
three  pounds." 

Though  apparently  so  liberal,  the  charter  was  in  some 
respects  cumbrous  and  defective.  Fifteen  of  the  Trus- 
tees were  required  to  be  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  fifteen  of  the  Reformed,  "  the  remainder  to  be 
chosen  from  any  other  society  of  Christians."  The 


FRANKLIN    COLLEGE.  247 

President  of  the  college  was  to  be  forever  chosen  alter- 
nately from  the  Lutheran  or  Reformed  Church,  unless 
the  trustees  should  "  unanimously  agree  to  elect  and 
appoint  two  or  more  persons  in  succession  of  the  same 
religious  denomination,  or  some  suitable  person  of  any 
other  society  of  Christians."  In  guarding  the  various 
interests  represented,  various  minute  regulations  concern- 
ing meetings  and  elections  were  introduced  into  the 
charter,  which  subsequently  interfered  materially  with 
the  successful  working  of  the  institution.  The  Faculty 
as  originally  constituted  was  able  and  enthusiastic.  The 
Rev.  Dr.  H.  E.  Muhlenberg,  the  celebrated  botanist,  was 
the  first  President,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  W.  Hendel  served 
as  Vice-President.  The  Rev.  Frederick  V.  Melsheimer, 
"  the  father  of  American  Entomology,"  had  special 
charge  of  the  German  department.  Prof.  Stewart  gave 
instruction  in  the  English  branches,  and  Prof.  J.  C.  W. 
Reichenbach  taught  Mathematics.  A  little  later,  Prof. 
James  Ross  took  charge  of  the  department  of  Ancient 
Languages,  and  it  was  while  he  was  connected  with  the 
college  that  his  celebrated  Latin  Grammar  was  written. 
There  is  no  evidence  that  Franklin  College  ever 
formally  graduated  students  or  conferred  degrees  in  the 
liberal  arts.  This  was  probably  due  to  the  exalted  ideas 
of  the  faculty  concerning  the  proper  requirements  of 
academic  distinction.  It  was,  however,  customary  for 
many  years  to  hold  an  annual  festival,  which  in  many 
respects  resembled  a  modern  commencement.  From  the 
reports  of  these  festivals  published  in  the  papers  of  the 


248  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

day,  it  appears  that  among  the  earliest  students  were 
young  men  who  subsequently  became  influential  minis- 
ters in  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  Churches.  Among 
those  who  became  Reformed  ministers  we  may  mention 
J.  C.  Becker,  J.  T.  Faber,  Jr.,  and  Philip  Gloninger. 

The  school  was  well  patronized  from  the  beginning. 
In  1788  there  were  125  students,  of  whom  upwards  of 
twenty  studied  the  ancient  languages.  In  order  to  ex- 
tend the  advantages  of  the  institution  as  widely  as  possi- 
ble, the  rates  of  tuition  were  very  low,  so  that  the  re- 
ceipts for  tuition  for  the  first  session  were  only  £40,  and 
for  the  second  £jo.  There  were  three  salaried  teachers 
who  received  about  .£410.  It  is  not  surprising,  there- 
fore, that  the  treasurer,  John  Hubley,  Esq.,  at  the  end  of 
the  first  year,  reported  a  deficit  of  £244.  In  a  letter  to 
Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  of  Philadelphia,  the  treasurer  says, 
"  I  wrote  to  you  some  time  ago  how  poorly  our  college 
stands,  and  how  far  we  are  in  arrears.  These  arrears 
are  increasing  daily,  and  unless  you  gentlemen  in  Phila- 
delphia will  put  your  shoulders  to  the  wheel  we  must 
inevitably  perish,  and  that  soon."  . 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  the  chief  trouble  was 
financial.  Professor  Melsheimer  writes,  "  If  the  Ger- 
mans will  take  an  interest  and  increase  the  endow- 
ment, the  institution  will  soon  be  among  the  most 
prosperous  in  the  State."  The  German  papers  of  the 
day  contain  many  appeals  for  aid,  as  well  as  bitter 
complaints  against  the  people  for  their  lack  of  in- 
terest in  this  important  enterprise.  The  fact  is,  the 


FRANKLIN    COLLEGE.  249 

time  for  success  on  so  extensive  a  scale  had  not  yet 
arrived.  A  large  portion  of  the  German  population 
of  Lancaster  county  was  not  favorable  to  higher  edu- 
cation, and  even  the  Lutherans  and  Reformed  were 
not  generally  enthusiastic.  They  were  warmly  attached 
to  their  native  language,  and  feared  that  the  new  insti- 
tution would  make  the  English  language  more  prom- 
inent than  the  German.  If  either  of  the  Synods  had 
possessed  supreme  control,  it  is  probable  that  arrange- 
ments would  have  been  made  to  meet  the  deficiencies 
of  income,  by  special  contributions  from  the  churches, 
but  neither  body  was  properly  conscious  of  its  respon- 
sibility, and  each  depended  upon  the  other.  Franklin 
College  was  therefore  neglected,  and  the  trustees  could 
discover  no  other  way  of  preventing  utter  ruin  than  by 
contracting  its  operations.  It  has  been  assumed  by  some 
writers  that  the  college  was  closed,  but  this  is  a  mis- 
take. The  Rev.  Dr.  F.  A.  Muhlenberg,1  who  was  him- 
self a  professor  at  a  comparatively  recent  period,  says 
concerning  it,  "  The  school,  it  must  be  admitted,  was 
constantly  kept  open,  so  that  parents  resident  in  that 
vicinity  seldom  stood  in  need  of  a  place  where  their 
children  could  receive,  at  least,  a  respectable  classical 
education."  Sometimes,  however,  there  waS  but  a  single 
professor,  who  received  a  small  stipend  from  the  Board, 
but  depended  in  great  measure  on  the  fees  received  for 
tuition.  The  institution  became  a  local  academy,  and 

1 "  Educational  Efforts  of  the  Pennsylvania  Synod,"  Evangelical  Re- 
view, April,  1859. 


25O  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

was  of  little  advantage  to  the  Church  in  general.  Its 
property  was,  however,  increasing  in  value,  and  it 
finally  became  possible  to  establish  a  college  upon  the 
old  foundation. 

THE   LAST   YEARS    OF   THE   COETUS. 

Though  America  had  for  some  years  been  separated 
from  Great  Britain,  the  connection  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Churches  of  Pennsylvania  with  the  Synods  of 
Holland  still  remained  unbroken.  The  latter  continued 
to  take  a  profound  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  Ameri- 
can churches,  occasionally  writing  letters  full  of  affec- 
tionate counsel.  In  conducting  this  correspondence,  the 
difference  of  language  was  sometimes  annoying.  It  was 
expected  that  the  reports  of  the  meetings  of  Coetus 
should  be  written  in  the  language  of  Holland,  but  after 
the  pioneers  had  passed  away  it  was  often  difficult  to 
find  a  secretary  who  was  sufficiently  familiar  with  that 
language  to  write  it  with  fluency.  Latin  was  occasion- 
ally substituted,  but  this  did  not  entirely  remove  the 
difficulty,  for,  as  one  of  the  German  ministers  complains, 
"  it  is  difficult  to  choose  between  writing  in  a  language 
which  one  has  never  properly  learned  or  in  another 
which  one  has  in  great  measure  forgotten."  During  the 
later  years  of  the  correspondence  the  secretaries  of 
Coetus  sometimes  ventured  to  write  German;  but  this 
was  not  supposed  to  be  agreeable  to  the  "  Fathers  "  in 
Holland,  very  few  of  whom  could  understand  that  lan- 
guage. 


THE    LAST   YEARS    OF   THE    COETUS.  2^1 

The  German  churches  of  America  owe  a  debt  to  the 
Synods  of  Holland  which  they  can  never  repay.  For 
more  than  half  a  century  the  latter  continued  their  .bene- 
factions without  any  possible  anticipation  of  a  return.  It 
must  have  been  a  weary  task  to  review  the  minutes  of 
the  German  Coetus,  and  to  give  advice  in  cases  whose 
difficulties  they  could  not  always  perfectly  appreciate. 
Sometimes  they  were  disappointed  in  the  men  whom 
they  had  commissioned  to  labor  in  America,  but  they 
were  never  discouraged.  In  the  whole  history  of  the 
Church  there  is  no  better  example  of  genuine  philan- 
thropy. That  the  kindness  of  the  Dutch  Synods  was 
gratefully  acknowledged  is  very  certain.  When  the 
Dutch  Churches  of  New  York  and  New  Jersey  were 
about  to  sever  their  connection  with  Holland,  in  1771, 
they  invited  the  German  congregations  to  unite  with 
them  in  the  formation  of  a  Synod ;  but  the  latter  de- 
clined in  consequence  of  their  affection  for  the  "  Fathers" 
who  had  shown  them  so  much  kindness. 

With  all  the  aid  furnished  from  Holland,  and  possibly 
to  some  extent  in  consequence  of  it,  the  Coetus  re- 
mained a  very  inefficient  body.  Its  resolutions  were  not 
final  until  they  had  been  received  and  approved  in  Hol- 
land, and  sometimes  several  years  passed  before  a  de- 
cision could  in  this  way  be  reached.  Even  with  the 
neighboring  Coetus  of  New  York  there  was  no  official 
communication  except  through  the  Synods  of  Holland. 
In  America  the  demand  for  ministers  far  exceeded  the 
supply;  but  it  was  under  many  restrictions,  and  by 


2$2  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

special  permission  only,  that  the  Coetus  was  authorized 
to  add  it  to  its  numbers.  At  last  it  assumed  the  respon- 
sibility of  performing  the  rite  of  ordination.  The  young 
men  who  were  thus  introduced  into  the  ministry  were 
probably  not  very  favorably  regarded  in  Holland,  and 
became  clamorous  for  a  separate  ecclesiastical  organiza- 
tion. In  1791  they  secured  the  adoption  of  the  following 
action  : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Coetus  has  the  right  at  all  times  to  examine  and 
ordain  those  who  offer  themselves  as  candidates  for  the  ministry,  without 
asking  or  waiting  for  permission  to  do  so  from  the  Fathers  in  Holland." 

At  the  same  meeting  it  was  resolved  to  continue  to 
send  a  report  of  the  proceedings,  accompanied  with 
suitable  explanations,  "as  may  be  necessary."  This 
was  equivalent  to  a  declaration  of  independence,  as 
the  proceedings  were  to  be  sent  merely  as  a  matter 
of  courtesy,  and  not  for  revision.  In  1792  the  Coetus 
went  a  step  further  by  directing  Domines  Pomp  and 
Hendel  to  prepare  a  Synodical  Constitution.  This  was 
practically  the  end  of  the  Coetus;  for  in  the  next  year 
the  Synod  held  its  first  meeting,  and  by  the  adoption 
of  the  "  Synodalordnung,"  became  an  independent  body. 


CHAPTER   X. 

The  Synod  of  ihe  German  Reformed  Church — "Die  SynodalorJ- 
nung" — The  First  Hymn-book — The  Conflict  of  Languages — 
Correspondence  with  other  Denominations — Condition  of  the 
Church  —  Unionistic  Tendencies  —  Signs  of  Progress  —  The 
Classes. 

ON  the  27th  of  April,  1793,  the  Synod  convened"  for 
the  first  time,  in  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania.  The  whole 
number  of  German  Reformed  ministers  was  at  that 
time  twenty-two,  of  whom  thirteen  were  present  at 
this  meeting.  The  separation  from  Holland  was  now 
completed  by  the  adoption  of  a  resolution  to  substitute 
a  friendly  letter  for  the  usual  annual  report  of  pro- 
ceedings; and  the  body  which  had  been  hitherto  called 
"The  Coetus  of  Pennsylvania,"  was  henceforth  to  be 
known  as  "The  Synod  of  the  German  Reformed  Church 
in  the  United  States  of  America."  The  most  import- 
ant action  was,  however,  the  adoption  of  the  "  Synodal 
Ordnung,"  or  Rules  of  Synod.  Many  of  these  rules 
are  found  in  the  present  Constitution  of  the  Reformed 
Church,  but  others  have  long  since  become  obsolete. 
Ministers  who  had  been  sent  to  America  by  the  Synods 
of  Holland,  or  who  might  hereafter  be  sent,  were 
entitled  to  membership;  while  those  who  came  from 
other  parts  of  Europe  were  to  present  certificates  of 

(253) 


254  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

ordination  and  testimonials  of  good  conduct.  Candi- 
dates for  licensure  and  ordination  were  required  to  be 
well  grounded  in  the  ancient  languages,  except  in 
special  cases  when  the  applicant  was  more  than  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  and  was  otherwise  well  prepared 
for  the  sacred  office.  The  powers  of  the  President  of 
Synod  were  carefully  guarded,  but  he  seems  to  have 
been  a  more  influential  personage  than  he  is  at  present. 
He  had  not  only  the  sole  privilege  of  calling  special 
meetings,  but  it  was  his  duty  to  visit  ministers  who 
appeared  to  be  going  astray,  for  the  purpose  of  repri- 
manding them,  either  privately  or  in  the  presence  of 
two  or  three  ministers.  If  a  minister  lived  a  vicious 
life,  it  became  the  duty  of  the  President  to  suspend 
him  from  his  office  until  the  next  meeting  of  Synod. 
The  Secretary  who  performed  his  duties  satisfactorily 
was  to  be  elected  President  of  Synod  in  the  following 
year.  Pastors  were  required  to  present  reports  of 
their  ministry,  as  is  now  done  at  the  meetings  of 
Classes,  and  the  elders  were  questioned  concerning  the 
state  of  the  churches,  not  only  formally,  but  minutely. 
At  every  session  of  Synod  a  private  meeting  was  held, 
in  which  the  orthodoxy  of  the  sermons  which  had  been 
preached  during  the  convention  was  discussed,  and 
private  difficulties  between  the  members  were  con- 
sidered and  settled. 

In  1 800  an  additional  series  of  rules  was  adopted  by 
which  the  Synod  was  made  to  consist  of  ordained  minis- 
ters, Licentiates,  and  Catechists.  Catechists,  like  liccn- 


SYNOD   OF   THE    GERMAN    REFORMED    CHURCH.         255 

tiates  of  the  present  day,  were  not  allowed  to  administer 
the  sacraments.  They  were  frequently  directed  by 
Synod  to  supply  vacant  congregations,  but  were  re- 
quired to  keep  a  diary  in  which  their  labors  in  the  minis- 
try were  carefully  recorded.  This  document  was  an- 
nually examined  by  Synod,  and  if  found  satisfactory  the 
catechist  either  received  permission  to  continue  his  labors 
for  another  year  or  was  advanced  to  a  higher  grade 
in  the  ministry.  Licentiates  were  authorized  to  adminis- 
ter the  sacraments,  and  could  serve  congregations ;  but 
their  license  was  annually  renewed,  and  at  the  meetings 
of  Synod  they  were  required  to  occupy  back  seats. 
They  were  also  required  to  present  a  manuscript  sermon 
annually  to  Synod,  for  inspection  and  review.  Ministers 
sometimes  remained  licentiates  for  several  years  before 
receiving  ordination.  Thus  they  were  for  a  long  time 
on  trial,  and  were  not  admitted  to  the  possession  of  all 
the  privileges  of  the  sacred  office  until  they  had  made 
full  proof  of  their  ministry.  There  were  instances  when 
young  men  entered  upon  the  ministry  with  great  en- 
thusiasm, but  afterwards  became  convinced  that  they 
lacked  the  requisite  degree  of  courage  and  perseverance 
for  the  proper  prosecution  of  the  work.  Such  men 
could  withdraw  while  they  were  licentiates  without  in- 
curring censure,  but  after  they  were  ordained  it  was 
universally  acknowledged  that  they  were  bound  to  de- 
vote themselves  exclusively  to  the  ministry  to  the  end  of 
their  lives.  These  rules  appear  to  have  been  wisely 
adapted  to  the  necessities  of  the  Church. 


256  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

CATECHISMS    AND    HYMN-BOOKS. 

During  the  colonial  period  little  attention  had  been 
given  to  cultus.  As  early  as  1762,  as  we  incidentally 
learn  from  a  cotemporary  document,1  the  Palatinate 
Liturgy  was  employed  in  all  the  churches,  and  though 
individual  ministers  occasionally  employed  other  for- 
mularies with  which  they  had  become  familiar  in  the 
Fatherland,  the  general  practice  remained  the  same 
until  long  after  the  beginning  of  the  present  century. 
As  a  symbol  of  faith  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  main- 
tained its  position  unquestioned  from  the  beginning ; 
but  in  the  instruction  of  youth  it  was  sometimes  supple- 
mented by  the  catechisms  of  Basel  and  Nassau-Siegen. 
At  a  somewhat  later  period  catechisms,  based  on  that 
of  Heidelberg,  were  prepared  and  published  for  local 
use  by  F.  L.  Herman,  Samuel  Helffenstein,  J.  C.  Becker, 
Samuel  Hess,  and  others. 

The  earliest  American  edition  of  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism in  the  German  language,  of  which  we  have  any 
knowledge,  was  printed  by  Christopher  Saur  in  1752. 
A  fine  edition  of  the  large  "  Palatinate  "  was  issued  in 
Philadelphia,  in  1762,  by  Peter  Miller  &  Co.  The  first 
edition  of  the  catechism  in  the  English  language,  for  the 
use  of  the  German  Reformed  Churches,  was  printed  in 
1810  by  Starck  and  Lange,  of  Hanover,  Penna. 

The  hymn-book  most  frequently  employed  during  the 
colonial  period  was  known  as  that  of  "  Marburg,"  from 
the  place  of  its  original  publication.  It  was,  we  think, 

'Mayer  MSS.  I,  15. 


CATECHISMS   AND    HYMN-BOOKS.  25/ 

the  best  hymn-book  then  in  use,  containing  more  of  the 
hymns  of  the  Primitive  Church  than  was  usual  in  those 
days.  This  book  was  several  times  reprinted  by  Christo- 
pher Saur.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  the  typo- 
graphy of  that  celebrated  printer,  containing,  besides  the 
Psalms  and  Hymns,  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  Morning 
and  Evening  Prayers,  Gospel  and  Epistle  lessons,  and 
the  History  of  the  Destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

It  appears  evident  that  this  book  was  printed  by  Saur 
as  a  private  speculation,  though  for  some  years  it  was 
extensively  used  in  the  churches.  During  the  Revolu- 
tion Saur's  publication  house  was  confiscated,  on  ac- 
count of  the  Toryism  of  its  owner,  and  his  books 
necessarily  became  scarce.  The  preparation  of  a  hymn- 
book  was  therefore  absolutely  necessary,  and  in  1793  the 
Synod  appointed  a  committee  to  attend  to  this  important 
work.  The  committee  consisted  of  Dr.  Hendel,  Helff- 
rich,  Blumer,  Wagner,  Pauli  and  Mann.  The  resolution 
adopted  by  Synod  reads: 

"  Resolved,  That  a  hymn-book  be  prepared,  of  which  the  Psalms  shall 
be  taken  from  Lobwasser  and  Spreng's  improved  version,  and  the  Palatin- 
ate hymn-book  shall  form  the  basis  of  the  hymns,  with  this  difference 
only,  that  some  unintelligible  hymns  he  exchanged  for  better  ones." 

It  is  evident  that  the  work  of  revision  and  altera- 
tion became  much  more  extensive  than  was  originally 
intended.  The  preface  says :  "  We  have  chosen  the 
most  edifying  and  best  known  hymns  in  the  Marburg 
and  Palatinate  hymn-books,  composed  by  Joachim  Nean- 
der,  Friedrich  Adolph  Lampe-  Caspar  Zollikofer,  and 
'7 


258  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

other  godly  men  among  the  Protestants.  To  these  we 
have  added  a  number  of  edifying  spiritual  songs,  taken 
from  the  hymn-books  recently  published  in  various  parts 
of  Germany.  The  metres  are  arranged  throughout  ac- 
cording to  the  Palatinate  hymn-book." 

This  collection,  entitled  "  Neues  und  Verbcsscrtcs  Gc- 
sangbiicli"  was  printed  by  Steiner  and  Kammerer, 
Philadelphia,  1797.  It  was  an  unfortunate  period  for 
the  preparation  of  a  hymn-book,  and  it  was  probably 
well  that  it  was  based  on  older  collections.  As  it  is, 
it  contains  a  few  hymns  which  were  evidently  com- 
posed under  the  Rationalistic  spirit  which  was  then 
prevalent  in  Germany.  Others  contain  expressions 
which  would  be  offensive  to  a  more  modern  taste; 
but  with  all  its  imperfections,  the  book  was  creditable 
to  its  compilers.  It  was  re-printed  in  numberless  edi- 
tions; each  with  a  frontispiece  representing  the  Psalm- 
ist playing  on  his  harp.  Michael  Billmeyer,  of  Ger- 
mantown,  was  for  many  years  the  publisher.  Its  use 
in  some  of  the  churches  must  have  continued  longer 
than  is  generally  supposed,  inasmuch  as  a  handsome 
edition  was  printed  as  recently  as  1850,  by  Enos 
Benner,  of  Sumneytown,  Pennsylvania. 

THE   CONFLICT    OF    LANGUAGES. 

In  1804  the  church  in  Philadelphia  requested  Synod 
"to  come  to  their  assistance  in  their  present  sad  con- 
dition, inasmuch  as  a  total  separation  is  to  be  feared 
from  the  fact  that  there  is  a  strong  party  among  them 


THE   CONFLICT    OF   LANGUAGES.  259 

who  desire  an  English  sermon  every  two  weeks.'' 
This  may  be  regarded  as  the  beginning  of  a  conflict 
which  continued  for  many  years. 

There  had,  indeed,  been  English  preaching  here  and 
there  in  the  German  Reformed  churches  some  years 
earlier.  Not  to  speak  of  Zubly,  in  Georgia,  and  Geb- 
hard,  in  New  York,  it  is  known  that  when  the  Rev. 
Caspar  Wack  became  pastor  of  the  churches  of  New 
Jersey,  in  1782,  he  found  it  necessary  to  preach  English. 
A  few  years  later  the  Rev.  Dr.  Herman  held  regular 
English  services  in  Germantown,  Pennsylvania.  It  is 
hardly  possible  that  all  this  could  have  occurred  with- 
out some  difference  of  opinion;  but  it  was  in  Philadel- 
phia that  the  dissensions  first  became  violent,  and  thus 
forced  themselves  upon  the  attention  of  Synod.  A 
few  years  letter  similar  troubles  broke  out  in  other 
cities ;  and  it  would  be  difficult  to  overestimate  the 
losses  which  the  Church  was  in  this  way  made  to 
suffer.  If  there  had  been  ministers  at  hand  who  could 
have  preached  in  both  languages,  much  of  this  trouble 
might  have  been  avoided;  but  there  were  probably 
not  half  a  dozen  members  of  the  Synod  who  could 
employ  the  English  language  with  any  degree  of  flu- 
ency. It  is  easy  enough  now  to  see  that  affairs  were 
badly  managed,  and  that  trivial  personal  advantages 
were  .often  made  to  stand  in  the  way  of  the  best 
interests  of  the  Church;  but  we  fail  to  appreciate  the 
difficulties  of  the  situation.  The  Synod  may  have 
been  weak,  as  has  been  asserted,  but  it  should  be 


26O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

remembered  that  it  had  neither  men  nor  money.  It 
is,  therefore,  not  surprising,  that  though  it  constantly 
counseled  peace,  the  dissensions  continued,  and  that 
the  problem  was  left  to  work  itself  out  as  best  it 
might.  Possibly,  this  was  all  that  could  justly  be 
expected,  and  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  the  course 
of  history  in  the  Reformed  Church  has,  in  this  respect, 
not  been  very  different  from  that  in  other  churches 
where  a  change  of  language  became  unavoidable.  It 
is,  however,  impossible  to  regard  the  mistakes  and 
losses  of  this  dreary  period  without  sentiments  of  deep 
regret. 

CORRESPONDENCE   WITH    OTHER    CHURCHES. 

In  1803  a  letter  was  received  by  the  Synod  of  the 
United  States  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  H.  Livingston,  re- 
questing that  young  ministers  be  sent  to  the  des- 
titute German  Reformed  Churches  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  at  the  same  time  suggesting  that  a  fraternal 
correspondence  be  opened  between  the  German  Re- 
formed and  Reformed  Dutch  Synods.  The  kindest  feel- 
ings had  always  subsisted  between  the  two  bodies,  but 
a  correspondence  by  the  exchange  of  delegates  was 
then  inaugurated  which  was  for  many  years  peculiarly 
intimate  and  affectionate.  It  may  appear  strange  that 
these  two  branches  of  the  Reformed  Church  were  not 
organically  united,  but  there  were  serious  difficulties  in 
the  way.  Though  both  Churches  were  equally  attached 
to  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  the  German  body  did  not 


CORRESPONDENCE   WITH    OTHER    DENOMINATIONS.        201 

deem  it  desirable  to  increase  the  number  of  its  confes- 
sions by  subscribing  to  the  Belgic  Confession  and  the 
Articles  of  the  Synod  of  Dordrecht,  which  it  regarded  as 
the  exclusive  possession  of  the  Church  of  Holland.  Be- 
sides this  doctrinal  difference,  there  was  also  a  practical 
difficulty  in  the  way  of  union.  The  two  Churches  occu- 
pied different  territory,  and  did  not  at  first  employ  the 
same  language.  There  was  but  little  personal  communi- 
cation between  their  members,  and  it  was  even  difficult 
to  induce  ministers  to  serve  as  corresponding  delegates, 
on  account  of  the  extensive  journey  which  such  an  ap- 
pointment involved. 

A  similar  correspondence  with  the  German  Lutheran 
Ministerium  of  Pennsylvania  grew  out  of  an  invitation 
from  the  latter  body  to  the  Reformed  Synod,  in  1817,  to 
unite  in  the  annual  celebration  of  the  Festival  of  the 
Reformation  on  the  3ist  of  October.  Though  the  Re- 
formed Synod  took  no  decisive  action  on  the  subject 
thus  presented,  it  at  the  same  meeting  directed  a  com- 
mittee of  conference  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  Luth- 
eran Synod,  for  the  purpose,  especially,  of  considering 
the  propriety  of  unitedly  founding  a  literary  institution. 
The  correspondence  thus  inaugurated  was  subsequently 
extended  to  several  Lutheran  Synods,  and  was  thus 
maintained  until  a  comparatively  recent  period. 

In  1823  a  correspondence  was  opened  with  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  It  was  on 
this  occasion  agreed  that  ministers  or  members  who 
might  be  under  discipline  in  one  of  the  corresponding 


262  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

bodies  should  not  be  admitted  to  membership  in  the 
other.  The  two  Churches  were,  however,  to  remain 
"  separate  and  independent."  On  this  basis  correspond- 
ing delegates  were  annually  appointed  or  elected  by  each 
body ;  and  during  the  period  of  "  the  great  schism  "  a 
delegate  was  sent  by  the  Reformed  Synod  impartially  to 
the  General  Assembly  of  each  of  the  "  schools." 

The  Synod  of  Ohio,  before  the  establishment  of  the 
General  Synod  corresponded  regularly  with  the  Synod 
of  the  United  States,  and  occasionally  with  other  eccles- 
iastical bodies.  At  present  the  General  Synod  generally 
attends  to  this  kind  of  correspondence,  though  each  of 
the  District  Synods  possesses  its  original  privileges  in 
this  respect,  if  it  chooses  to  exercise  them. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  General  Synod  held  in  1884, 
delegates  were  elected  to  the  following  corresponding 
bodies :  The  General  Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
America;  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  ;  the  General  Synod  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church ;  the  Quadrennial  Provincial  Synod  of  the  Mo- 
ravian Church  ;  and  the  Evangelical  Synod  of  North 
America.1  Though  the  "  correspondence  with  Sister 
Churches  "  has  possibly  failed  to  accomplish  all  that  was 
expected  of  it  by  its  original  promoters,  it  is  a  pleasant 
feature  in  our  synodical  assemblies,  while  at  the  same 
time  it  testifies  to  our  belief  in  the  essential  unity  of 
Christian  believers. 

'The  latter  body  is  popularly  known  as  "The  German  Church-Union  of 
the  West." 


CONDITION    OF   THE   CHURCH.  263 

It  cannot  be  doubted  that  during  the  first  two 
decades  of  the  present  century,  the  German  Reformed 
Church  in  this  country  was  in  a  discouraging  con- 
dition. The  first  generation  of  ministers  had  mostly 
passed  away,  to  be  succeeded  by  others  whose  edu- 
cational advantages  had  been  very  limited.  Their 
theological  training  had  been  in  most  cases  entrusted 
to  a  preceptor  who  had  perhaps  been  educated  in 
Germany,  but  who  in  many  years  of  pioneer  service 
had  possibly  forgotten  much  of  what  he  had  learned 
in  his  youth,  and  was  at  any  rate  unable  to  keep  up 
with  the  more  recent  developments  of  theologic  science. 
The  latter  fact  may  not  have  been  an  unmixed  evil, 
as  in  this  way  the  Church  was  preserved  from  the 
ravages  of  the  Rationalism  which  was  then  devastating 
the  Fatherland.  Some  preceptors  were  conscientious, 
and  gave  their  pupils  a  course  not  only  in  theology, 
but  also  in  philosophy  and  the  ancient  languages;  but 
there  were  others  who  did  no  more  than  to  allow 
them  the  use  of  their  rather  limited  libraries,  and  who 
appear  to  have  been  mainly  solicitous  of  obtaining 
the  fees  paid  by  their  students,  or  of  using  them  as 
assistants  in  the  pastoral  labor  of  an  extensive  charge. 

We  have  no  desire  to  reproach  the  Fathers  for 
their  shortcomings.  No  doubt  the  difficulties  appeared 
insuperable,  and  the  best  was  done  that  was  possible 
under  the  circumstances;  but  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
the  wants  of  the  Church  could  not  be  met  in  any 
such  fashion.  A  few  men  of  great  natural  ability  over- 


264.  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

came  by  persistent  study  many  of  the  difficulties  with 
which  they  were  forced  to  grapple,  and  to  their  energy 
and  devotion  we  owe  the  preservation  of  the  Church 
at  this  momentous  crisis.  The  condition  of  affairs 
was,  however,  sufficiently  discouraging  to  dishearten 
the  most  courageous.  The  German  immigration  had 
almost  ceased,  and  the  denominational  consciousness 
of  the  Churches  in  America  had  not  yet  awakened; 
and  though  the  number  of  ministers  and  members 
was  gradually  increasing  with  the  development  of  the 
country,  it  really  seemed  as  though  the  German  Re- 
formed Church  had  no  separate  mission. 

UNIONISTIC   TENDENCIES. 

The  mutual  relations  of  the  Reformed  and  Luth- 
eran Churches  were  at  this  time  peculiarly  intimate. 
They  occupied  the  same  territory,  and  in  many  places 
worshiped  in  the  same  building.  The  knowledge  of 
the  people  concerning  denominational  distinctions  was 
generally  limited  to  certain  minor  matters  of  cere- 
monial observance.1 

'If  a  Pennsylvania  farmer  hail  at  this  time  been  asked  to  point  out 
the  difference  between  the  Reformed  and  Lutheran  Churches,  he  would 
probably  have  said :  "  In  the  Lord's  Prayer  the  Reformed  say  '  Unser 
Vaterj  and  the  Lutherans  say  '  Vater  unser;'  and  further  on  in  the  same 
prayer  the  Lutherans  say  '  Erlose  tins  van  dem  Uebelj  and  the  Reforme  1 
'  Erlose  uns  von  dem  £ose>i.'"  He  might  also  have  referred  to  the  fact 
that  the  Lutherans  generally  use  unleavened  bread  in  the  Lord's  Supper; 
and  if  particularly  well  instructed,  he  might  have  mentioned  the  variation 
in  the  division  of  the  Ten  Commandments  which  is  found  in  the  Cate- 
cmsms  of  the  two  Churches. 


UNIONISTIC   TENDENCIES.  20$ 

Union  churches,  which  were  once  exceptional,  had 
become  exceedingly  numerous,  and  in  certain  sections 
of  the  Church  they  are  still  almost  universal.  From 
one  point  of  view  it  is,  of  course,  pleasant  to  see  two 
congregations  worshiping  in  the  same  church;  but  it 
has  been  proved  by  experience  that  this  •  arrangement 
is  not  conducive  to  their  highest  interests,  and  the 
synods  of  both  Churches  have  consequently  expressed 
their  disapproval  of  the  continued  erection  of  union 
churches.  It  is,  at  best,  as  when  two  families  occupy 
the  same  dwelling;  the  opportunities  of  pleasant  social 
communication  are  more  than  counterbalanced  by  the 
dangers  of  interference  and  collision  to  which  each 
family  is  necessarily  exposed. 

In  the  period  to  which  we  have  specially  referred, 
it  must  be  confessed  that  many  ministers  of  the  Re- 
formed and  Lutheran  Churches  favored  the  organic 
union  of  these  two  bodies,  not  because  they  had 
reached  a  proper  doctrinal  basis  for  such  union,  but 
because  they  knew  little  and  cared  less  about  the 
questions  at  issue  between  them.1 

The  union  of  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  churches 
of  Prussia,  in  1817,  was  not  without  its  effect  in 
America,  and  during  the  succeeding  years  frequent 

1  These  unionistic  tendencies  are  illustrated  by  the  resolution  adopted 
by  the  Reformed  Synod  in  1812,  to  support  the  "  Evangelical  Magazine," 
founded  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Helmut!),  and  the  formal  approval  by  the  same 
body,  in  1817,  of  the  "  Gemeinschaftliche  Gesangbuch" — a  compilation 
prepared  by  irresponsible  parties  for  use  in  union  churches. 


266  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

conferences  were  held  in  the  hope  of  reaching  a  simi- 
ilar  result.  In  1824,  when  the  consideration  of  the 
subject  had  begun  to  languish,  a  communication  was 
received  from  the  Lutheran  Ministerium,  urging  the  Re- 
formed Synod  to  devote  renewed  attention  to  the 
union  of  the.  Churches,  and  to  labor  earnestly  for  its 
speedy  consummation.  Indeed,  it  is  probable  that  an 
effort  would  have  been  made  to  follow  the  European 
example,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  fear  expressed  in 
an  almost  cotemporary  document,  that  "some  pastors 
and  churches  of  each  denomination  would  stand  aloof, 
and  that  the  result  would  thus  be  to  introduce  a  new 
denomination  without  decreasing  the  number  already 
in  existence."  The  Reformed  Church  has  always 
favored  union  when  effected  upon  a  proper  basis;  but 
it  is  questionable  whether,  if  introduced  at  the  time 
and  under  the  circumstances  to  which  we  have  referred, 
it  would  have  produced  the  beneficent  results  which 
its  promoters  fondly  expected. 

SIGNS  OF  PROGRESS. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  during  this  period  of  de- 
pression there  were  no  signs  of  progress.  The  most 
hopeful  feature  was  a  general  longing  for  better  things, 
which,  although  expressed  in  abortive  resolutions,  was  a 
piophecy  of  future  advancement.  There  was  especially 
an  earnest  desire  for  the  establishment  of  a  Theological 
school  and  the  publication  of  a  religious  periodical.  The 
time  for  these  things  had  not  yet  fully  come,  but  the 
seed  was  sown  from  which  they  subsequently  grew. 


CHURCH    GOVERNMENT.  267 

THE    CLASSES. 

Notwithstanding  the  difficulties  which  it  was  com- 
pelled to  encounter,  the  Church  had  increased  in  num- 
bers until  about  seventy  ministers  were  connected  with 
Synod.  The  difficulty  of  bringing  them  together  at 
Synodical  meetings  was  fully  appreciated,  and  it  was 
suggested  that  ministers  residing  outside  of  Pennsylvania 
might  organize  Classes,  electing  a  single  delegate  annu- 
ally to  represent  them  at  Synod.  Nothing  came  of  this 
until  1818,  when  a  committee  was  appointed  to  divide 
the  Synod  into  districts  or  Classes.  In  1819  the  division 
was  effected,  and  each  Classis  was  permitted  to  choose  a 
name  for  itself.  These  Classes,  eight  in  number,  held 
their  first  meeting  on  the  fourth  Sunday  after  Easter, 
1820.  The  names  respectively  assumed  by  them  were: 
Philadelphia,  Northampton,1  Lebanon,  Susquehanna, 
West  Pennsylvania,  Zion,  Maryland,  and  Ohio.2  From 
these  pioneer  Classes3  all  the  Classes  at  present  in  con- 

1  In  1824  the  Classes  of  Philadelphia  and  Northampton  were  united  by 
Synod  and  constituted  a  single  classis. 

2  The  Synod  of  Ohio,  which  was  derived,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter, 
from  the  Classis  of  Ohio,  did  not  establish  Classes  within  its  bounds  un- 
til  1842.     The  Classes  organized  at  this  time  were   Miami,   Lancaster, 
Columbiana,  Sandusky,  Westmoreland,  and  Erie. 

3  Several  of  these  Classes  are  now  extinct.     The  following  list  of  ad- 
ditional Classes  constituted  by  the  Synod  of  the  United  States  prior  to  the 
organization  of  the  General  Synod,  with  the  year  of  their  earliest  meet- 
ing, may  be  useful  as  a  matter  of  reference  : 

Virginia,    1824    (dissolved    1830);    East    Pennsylvania,    1826;    North 
Carolina,  1830;  Philadelphia  (new),  1836;  Virginia  (new),  1839;  Mer- 


268  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

nection  with  the  General  Synod  may  be  regarded  as 
directly  or  indirectly  derived.1 

With  the  organization  of  the  Classes,  in  1 820,  the  sec- 
ond period  of  the  history  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
this  country  comes  to  a  close.  Hitherto  its  organization 
can  hardly  be  said  to  have  been  completed.  If  the  Re- 
formed Church  owes  its  Synods  to  Zwingli,  the  Classes 
are  derived  from  Calvin  and  the  Church  of  France.  In 
Holland  and  the  Rhine  Provinces  of  Germany  they  were 
introduced  at  least  as  early  as  1571,  and  whether  known 
as  Classes  or  Presbyteries,  they  have  everywhere  been 
recognized  as  of  fundamental  importance  to  our  system 
of  government.  Their  introduction  into  the  German  Re- 
formed Church  of  this  country,  therefore,  appropriately 
marks  the  time  of  its  awakening  to  the  nature  of  its  mis- 
sion, and  of  an  earnest  determination  to  labor  for  its  ac- 
complishment. 

cersburg,  1840;  New  York,  1840  (?);  Goshenhoppen,  1841;  Lancaster, 
1852;  East  Susquehanna,  1856;  West  Susquehanna,  1856;  Clarion  (or- 
ganized by  Synod  of  Ohio,  1850,  transferred  to  Synod  of  U.  S.,  1857); 
St.  Paul,  1861.. 

'In  1884  the  number  of  Classes  in  connection  with  the  General  Synod 
was  ni'ty-two,  but  several  additional  Classes  have  since  been  organized. 


CHAPTER  XL 

The  Theological  Seminary — Popular  Opposition — "  The  Free 
Synod" — Repeated  Failures — The  Semin-ary  Founded  at  Car- 
lisle— Removed  to  York,  Pa. —  The  Seminary  and  College  at 
Mercersburg. 

AT  the  Synod  at  Hagerstown,  Md.,  in  1820,  a  plan 
was  adopted  for  the  establishment  of  a  Theological  Sem- 
inary. This  was  a  consummation  towards  which  the 
best  men  in  the  Church  had  looked  forward  with  intense 
longing,  and  it  is  perhaps  not  surprising  that  on  this 
occasion  their  enthusiasm  carried  them  beyond  the  limits 
of  ordinary  prudence.  In  fact,  they  almost  seem  to  have 
imagined  that  the  work  could  be  accomplished  by  the 
simple  adoption  of  a  resolution.  On  the  ground  of 
vague  promises  and  of  still  more  uncertain  expectations, 
it  was  taken  for  granted  that  the  income  of  the  new  insti- 
tution would  be  from  the  first  greatly  in  excess  of  its 
expenses,  and  the  Rev.  Philip  Milledoler,  D.  D.,  of  New 
York,  was  immediately  elected  Professor  of  Theology,  at 
an  annual  salary  of  t\yo  thousand  dollars.  Frederick, 
Maryland,  was  selected  as  the  location  of  the  new  insti- 
tution. Subscriptions  for  its  endowment  were  solicited, 
but  unfortunately  most  of  these  were  made  conditional 
on  Dr.  Milledoler's  acceptance.  It  was  supposed  that  in 

this  way  large  contributions  would  be  secured  from  the 

(269) 


2/O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Doctor's  personal  friends  in  New  York  ;  but  this  proved 
a  mistake,  and  the  labor  of  several  years  was  lost. 

Dr.  Milledoler,  though  at  this  time  connected  with  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church,  had  been  in  his  early  ministry 
a  member  of  the  German  Reformed  Synod.  He  was  in 
the  zenith  of  his  fame,  and  being  equally  familiar  with 
the  German  and  English  languages,  it  was  believed  that 
he  would  not  only  gain  the  confidence  of  the  Germans, 
but  by  his  personal  influence  give  the  new  Theological 
Seminary  a  prominent  position  among  the  institutions  of 
the  land.  No  doubt  this  estimate  of  Dr.  Milledoler's 
abilities  was  correct ;  but  we  cannot  approve  his  course 
on  this  occasion.  For  two  years  he  retained  the  call, 
leaving  the  Synod  under  the  impression  that  he  would 
certainly  accept  it ;  but  finally  he  declined  and  became 
Professor  of  Theology  and  President  of  Rutgers  College, 
in  New  Brunswick.  This  was  a  grievous  disappoint- 
ment, and  for  a  while  it  seemed  as  though  the  project 
of  establishing  a  German  Reformed  Theological  Semin- 
ary had  proved  an  utter  failure. 

POPULAR    OPPOSITION. 

In  many  parts  of  the  Church  the  people  failed  to 
appreciate  the  necessity  of  establishing  a  theological 
institution,  and  indeed  regarded  it  with  great  suspicion. 
The  most  ignorant  could  not  fail  to  see  that  great 
movements  were  in  progress  in  all  the  churches.  The- 
ological and  Literary  institutions  were  springing  up  in 
various  directions;  ministers  advocated  the  work  of 


POPULAR   OPPOSITION.  27! 

missions,  and  organized  societies  for  its  advancement. 
Colporteurs  traversed  the  country  distributing  Bibles 
and  tracts;  and  Sunday-schools  were  beginning  to  be 
generally  established.  All  these  things  came  so  rap^ 
idly  that  they  attracted  the  attention  of  the  entire 
community.  It  was  a  "shaking  of  the  dry  bones," 
that  was  offensive  to  those  who  were  "  at  ease  in 
Zion."  Demagogues  created  the  impression,  in  unedu- 
cated communities,  that  the  ministers  had  formed  a 
vast  conspiracy  to  deprive  the  people  of  their  liberty. 
The  collections  taken  up  for  benevolent  purposes,  it 
was  said,  were  soon  to  be  succeeded  by  taxes,  to  be 
rigorously  exacted  for  the  support  of  the  Church. 
Traditions  concerning  the  tyranny  of  the  State  Churches 
of  Germany,  at  the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  were 
sedulously  revived,  and  a  state  of  feeling  was  thus 
created  of  whose  intensity  we  can  hardly  form  a  proper 
conception.  Everything  of  which  the  Synods  approved 
was  regarded  as  suspicious;  and  theological  seminaries 
became  especially  objectionable  because  the  most  emi- 
nent ministers  were  enthusiastic  in  their  behalf.  Books 
in  opposition  to  Synods  were  written  by  Carl  Gock  and 
others,  and  these  elicited  replies  which  only  added  to  the 
prevailing  excitement.  Anti-synod  conventions  were 
held  at  intervals  for  several  years — the  most  important 
of  them  in  18^:9 — and  some  churches  resolved  that  they 
would  "employ"  no  minister  who  remained  a  member 
of  Synod.  The  latter  churches,  in  many  instances,  be- 
came the  prey  of  deposed  ministers  or  unordained 


2/2  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

vagrants,  and  were  thus  made  to  suffer  for  their  folly. 
Many  years  passed  before  the  Church  in  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania was  thoroughly  pacified;  and  indeed  it  is 
questionable  whether  the  evil  results  of  this  period  of 
excitement  have  even  now  entirely  disappeared. 

"THE   FREE   SYNOD." 

Closely  connected  with  the  troubles  we  have  endeav- 
ored to  describe,  but  by  no  means  to  be  identified 
with  them,  was  the  schism  which  was  generally  known 
as  "  The  Free  Synod."  Its  founder  and  chief  promoter 
was  the  Rev.  F.  L.  Herman,  D.  D.,  the  last  of  the 
missionaries  sent  to  this  country  by  the  Synods  of 
Holland.  He  was  a  thoroughly  educated  man,  who 
had  for  many  years  been  prominent  in  the  councils 
of  the  Church.  Among  the  ministers  who  had  been 
employed  in  instructing  candidates  for  the  ministry, 
he  was  one  of  the  most  active,  and  his  ability  as  an 
instructor  was  generally  recognized.  In  his  parsonage 
at  Falkener  Swamp  he  had  organized  a  theological 
school,  which  was  familiarly  known  as  "The  Swamp 
College."  Students  were  required  to  remain  under 
his  care  at  least  three  years,  and  during  this  time  he 
not  only  instructed  them  in  theology  and  kindred 
sciences,  but  in  the  rudiments  of  the  ancient  lan- 
guages. The  course  would  now  be  regarded  as  incom- 
plete, but  it  was  probably  the  best  that  could  under 
the  circumstances  be  reasonably  expected.  When  the 
Church  determined  to  establish  a  Theological  Seminary, 


THE   FREE   SYNOD.  2/3 

many  of  Dr.  Herman's  friends  regarded  him  as  the 
person  best  suited  to  be  the  first  Professor  of  The- 
ology, and  regretted  that  in  its  choice  the  Synod 
should  have  gone  beyond  the  limits  of  the  Church; 
but  his  name  was  never  publicly  proposed,  and  we 
would  be  far  from  intimating  that  he  entertained  any 
personal  aspirations  in  this  direction. 

When  the  Synod  adopted  the  "  Plan  for  the  Estab- 
lishment of  a  Theological  Seminary,"  in  1820,  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  was  adopted: 

"  Resolved,  That  no  minister  shall  hereafter  have  the  privilege  of 
receiving  a  young  man  in  order  to  instruct  him  in  theology,  but  may  only 
direct  him  in  his  preliminary  studies." 

We  have  no  hesitation  in  characterizing  this  reso- 
lution as  at  least  premature,  for  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  the  seminary  was  only  "  on  paper,"  and  had 
as  yet  no  actual  existence.  As  Dr.  Herman  was  at 
this  time  the  only  minister  who  had  any  considerable 
number  of  students  under  his  care,  the  resolution  was 
supposed  to  be  aimed  at  him  and  his  incipient  insti- 
tution. 

Dr.  Herman  now  began  to  oppose  the  proposed  Theo 
logical  Seminary,  basing  his  opposition  principally  on  its 
proposed  location  at  Frederick,  Maryland,  which,  in  his 
opinion,  was  too  far  distant  trom  the  centre  of  the 
Church.  The  controversy  which  ensued  became  per- 
sonal, and  caused  unpleasant  feelings.  Next  year  (1821) 
the  Synod  suspended  Dr.  Herman's  gifted  but  wayward 

son,  Frederick,  from  the  ministerial  office,  and  though 
18 


2/4  HISTORIC    VIANUAL. 

there  could  be  no  question  as  to  the  justice  of  the  sen- 
tence, it  is  said  to  have  been  communicated  to  the  father 
in  terms  which  proved  offensive.  Dr.  Herman  and  his 
friends  immediately  withdrew  from  the  meeting  of  Synod 
and  returned  home  without  permission,  for  which  acts 
they  were  severely  censured  by  resolution.  Though 
the  Synod  afterwards  formally  requested  them  to  declare 
their  intentions  there  was  no  doubt  that  a  schism  had  al- 
ready occurred,  and  when  Messrs.  F.  L.  Herman,  C.  G. 
Herman,  H.  Dieffenbach,  and  J.  C.  Guldin  were  finally 
excluded  from  membership,  these  ministers  had  been  for 
some  time  associated  as  members  of  the  "  Free  Synod." 
We  have  not  space  to  give  a  full  account  of  the  his- 
tory of  this  schismatic  body.  Its  first  title  was  "  The 
Synod  of  the  Free  German  Reformed  congregations  of 
Pennsylvania  ;"  but  this  was  subsequently  changed  to 
"  The  German  Reformed  Synod  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ad- 
jacent States."  From  various  causes  the  organization 
grew  very  rapidly.  All  of  Dr.  Herman's  students  were 
now  licensed  and  ordained  by  this  Synod,  though  some 
of  them  soon  connected  themselves  with  the  parent 
body.  We  have  in  our  possession  a  list  of  the  names  of 
fifty-seven  ministers  who  were  at  various  times  members 
of  the  "  Free  Synod,"  and  more  than  one  hundred  con- 
gregations are  recorded  as  having  been  in  connection 
with  it.  Among  the  latter  were  churches  in  New  York, 
Philadelphia,  Allentown,  Carlisle,  and  other  important 
places.  The  schism  was  therefore  by  no  means  con- 
temptible. 


THE   FREE   SYNOD.  2/5 

The  prosperity  of  the  "  Free  Synod  "  was,  however, 
more  apparent  than  real.  Its  younger  members  felt  that 
they  had  been  placed  in  a  position  of  antagonism  to  the 
progressive  Christian  spirit  of  the  age.  Their  Synod 
had  been  founded  on  personal  grievances  and  conse- 
quently lacked  the  elements  of  permanence.  Mission- 
aries were  sent  to  the  Far  West,  as  well  as  to  the  north- 
ern counties  of  Pennsylvania;  and  it  was  proposed  to 
establish  a  church-school  on  the  manual-labor  plan  in 
Cumberland  county,  where  a  friend  had  offered  to 
donate  two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  for  this 
purpose.  All  these  enterprises,  however,  only  served 
to  show  that  there  was  no  real  community  of  interest. 
With  the  increase  of  numbers,  the  looseness  of  the 
organization  became  more  apparent,  and  many  of  its 
best  members  longed  for  union  with  a  stronger  body. 

Many  years  ago — when  most  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  "Free  Synod"  were  still  living — an  article 
giving  a  full  account  of  the  healing  of  the  schism 
was  published  in  "The  Messenger."  As  its  statements 
were  at  the  time  fully  verified  by  the  author,  there 
need  be  no  doubt  concerning  their  correctness.  We 
therefore  do  not  hesitate  to  quote  the  concluding 
paragraphs  of  this  article : 

"In  the  year  1836  the  Free  Synod  met  in  Salem  church,  Philadelphia. 
Rev.  T.  H.  Leinbach  was  elected  President  of  the  meeting.  Dr.  Her- 
man was  in  the  city,  but  was  able  to  attend  only  a  part  of  the  sessions 
on  account  of  illness.  It  was  during  his  absence,  on  the  afternoon  of 
Tuesday,  September  6,  1836,  that  the  subject  of  church-union  was 
brought  to  the  attention  of  Synod.  One  of  the  brethren — whose  name, 


2/6  HISTORIC  MANUAL. 

for  obvious  reasons,  we  decline  to  mention — stated  that  he  had  conferred 
with  the  younger  Milledoler,  and  as  a  result  of  their  deliberations  he 
begged  leave  to  offer  a  resolution  to  the  following  effect : 

" '  Resolved,  That  this  Synod  take  measures  to  unite  with  the  General 
Synod  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church.' 

"  At  the  conclusion  of  the  remarks  made  in  support  of  this  resolution, 
there  was  silence  for  several  minutes.  Each  felt  that  this  was  a  moment 
of  paramount  importance,  in  which  a  hasty  decision  might  jeopardize 
the  interests  of  a  large  portion  of  the  Church.  At  last,  Rev.  J.  S.  Dubbs, 
of  Allentown,  arose  and  stated  that  he  too  was  in  favor  of  union,  but  of 
union  with  the  Synod  of  the  German  Reformed  Church.  'We  are  Ger- 
man Reformed,'  he  said,  'and  not  Dutch  Reformed;  and  a  union  with 
the  latter  body  would  be  productive  of  endless  confusion  and  of  bitter 
heart-burnings.  I  propose,  therefore,  that  this  Synod — laying  aside  all 
personal  feelings,  and  looking  only  to  the  best  interests  of  the  Church — 
take  such  measures  as  will  best  promote  our  re-union  with  the  General 
Synod  of  the  German  Reformed  Church.' 

"  After  these  remarks  there  was  again  an  interval  of  silence.  Then  Rev. 
J.  S.  Ebaugh,  of  Carlisle,  requested  the  mover  of  the  latter  resolution  to 
commit  it  to  writing.  This  was  done,  as  will  be  seen  by  referring  to 
page  13  of  the  published  minutes,  from  which  we  translate  as  follows: 

"  '  Rev.  J.  S.  Dubbs  presented  the  following  preamble  and  resolution : 

"•WHEREAS,  The  division  which  has  occurred  in  the  Reformed  Church 
has  been  productive  of  many  differences,  which  were  unpleasant  to  both 
of  the  existing  Synods,  and  which  must  have  been  painful  to  eveiy  right- 
thinking  mind ;  and, 

" '  Whereas,  We  believe  that  a  general  desire  exists  that  these  differ- 
ences should  now  be  adjusted ;  therefore, 

" « Resolved,  That  the  Reverend  Synod  send  three  delegates  to  the  Gen- 
eral Synod  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  to  confer  concerning  terms 
of  re-union,  and  to  report  the  result  of  their  deliberations  to  the  Synod, 
••vhich  is  to  meet  in  Pottstown,  Pa.,  in  1837,  for  final  consideration.' 

"  The  above  resolution  was  supported  by  the  mover  with  extended 
remarks.  He  was  then  followed,  in  a  similar  strain,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Bibig- 
haus,  Rev.  J.  C.  Guldin,  Rev.  J.  S.  Ebaugh,  and  others.  After  consid- 


THE    FREE   SYNOD.  2/7 

erable  discussion,  the  resolution  was  adopted.  Three  delegates  were 
then  appointed  to  present  this  action  to  the  General  Synod,  which  was 
about  to  convene  at  Baltimore,  Md.  The  delegates  appointed  were  Revs. 
J.  S.  Dubbs,  C.  G.  Herman,  and  J.  C.  Guldin. 

"When  the  time  arrived  for  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  at  Baltimore,  Rev. 
C.  G.  Herman  was  detained  at  home;  but  the  other  delegates  proceeded 
to  fulfill  the  duty  which  had  been  imposed  on  them.  At  Baltimore  they 
were  received,  as  it  were,  with  open  arms.  Their  overtures  were 
referred  to  a  committee  consisting  of  Rev.  J.  C.  Becker,  D.  D.,  Rev.  I. 
Gerhart,  Rev.  B.  C.  Wolff,  D.  D.,  and  Elders  George  Hess,  Jr.,  and 
James  Grimes.  This  committee  reported  favorably  to  the  reception  of 
the  Free  Synod  in  a  body,  and  their  report  was  unanimously  adopted. 
Synod  also  adopted  a  minute  expressive  of  its  gratitude  to  Almighty  God, 
and  of  its  'sincere  joy  at  the  prospect  of  a  union  so  essential  to  the  best 
interests  of  the  Church.'  The  delegates  then  returned  home — much 
encouraged  by  their  reception  and  by  the  action  of  Synod — to  report  to 
the  body  that  had  commissioned  them. 

"The  last  PYee  Synod  was  held  in  Pottstown,  Pa.,  in  1837.  At  this 
meeting  the  delegates  presented  their  report,  but  soon  found  that  unex- 
pected opposition  awaited  them.  Dr.  Herman  was  understood  to  be 
opposed  to  re-union,  and  though  aged,  his  influence  was  still  extensive. 
It  soon,  however,  became  evident  that  the  days  of  the  Free  Synod  were 
numbered.  Most  of  its  members  were  now  determined  to  return  to  the 
General  Synod,  under  all  circumstances,  and  the  continued  existence  of 
the  Free  Synod  became,  therefore,  almost  an  impossibility.  After  con- 
siderable discussion,  the  report  of  the  delegates  received  the  necessary 
ratification,  and  the  '  Free  Synod  of  Pennsylvania  and  Adjacent  States,' 
thus  became  an  integral  part  of  the  '  Synod  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States.'"1 

1  An  Independent  Synod,  composed  in  part  of  former  members  of  the 
"  Free  Synod,"  maintained  a  sickly  existence  for  some  years  in  central 
Pennsylvania.  It  is  said  to  have  included  some  Lutheran  elements,  and 
was  popularly  known  as  the  "  Stiely  Synod,"  from  the  prominence  of 
the  brothers  Isaac  and  Philip  Stiely  in  its  organization. 


278  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

A   SECOND   FAILURE. 

Though  Dr.  Milledoler's  declination  had  shattered 
the  best  hopes  of  the  friends  of  the  proposed  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  they  were  not  disposed  to  give  up 
the  work  in  despair.  If  the  project  could  not  be 
carried  out  on  its  projected  scale,  it  might  possibly 
be  done  in  a  more  modest  manner.  It  was,  therefore, 
immediately  resolved,  in  1822,  to  found  the  new  insti- 
tution in  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  against  which  loca- 
tion it  was  presumed  there  could  be  no  objection. 
The  Professor  of  Theology,  it  was  proposed,  should  be 
elected  pastor  by  the  congregation  in  Harrisburg,  and 
the  Synod,  on  its  part,  pledged  itself  to  contribute  to 
his  support  the  annual  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars 
in  addition  to  his  pastoral  salary. 

A  serious  obstacle  to  the  success  of  this  promising 
scheme  was  found  in  the  fact  that  there  was  no 
vacancy  in  the  pastorate  of  the  church  at  Harrisburg. 
The  Rev.  John  Weinbrenner  had  for  several  years 
been  pastor  of  that  congregation,  and  of  several  others 
in  its  immediate  vicinity.  He  was  a  man  of  consid- 
erable talent,  possessing  unusual  oratorical  ability,  who 
had  taken  great  interest  in  the  proposed  establishment 
of  a  Theological  Seminary,  and  had  pledged  himself  to 
contribute  in  its  support,  for  ten  years,  the  annual 
sum  of  two  hundred  dollars.  Recently  he  had,  how- 
ever, become  an  enthusiastic  advocate  of  what  were 
known  as  "  New  Measures,"  carrying  the  revival  sys- 
tem to  an  extreme  that  was  unusual  in  the  Reformed 


A   SECOND    FAILURE.  2/9 

churches.  Some  of  the  members  of  his  church  had, 
therefore,  become  dissatisfied,  and  the  Synod  was  con- 
vinced that  it  would  be 'well  for  him  to  seek  another 
field  of  labor.  The  Consistory  of  the  church  at  Har- 
risburg  must  have  had  the  same  opinion,  for  they 
expressed  their  willingness  to  accept  the  Professor  of 
Theology  as  their  pastor,  provided  that  the  position 
was  first  vacated  by  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Wein- 
brenner.  The  latter,  however,  asked  time  for  consider- 
ation, and  no  further  action  was  then  taken. 

Next  year  (1823),  the  subject  was  taken  up  again. 
The  Synod  renewed  its  resolution  to  establish  a  Theo- 
logical Seminary  at  Harrisburg,  and  at  once  proceeded 
to  elect  a  professor.  On  the  first  ballot  the  votes 
were  equally  divided  between  three  candidates — Rev. 
Drs.  S.  Helffenstein,  J.  C.  Becker,  and  L.  Mayer. 
Then  Dr.  Mayer  withdrew  his  name,  and  Dr.  Helffen- 
stein was  chosen. 

The  troubles  in  the  church  in  Harrisburg  still  con- 
tinued, and  these,  no  doubt,  were  not  without  influ- 
ence on  the  mind  of  Dr.  Helffenstein,  who  finally 
declined  the  call  extended  by  Synod.  Mr.  Weinbren- 
ner  became  more  and  more  alienated  from  the  doc- 
trine and  practice  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  at  last 
founded  a  separate  denomination,  whose  members  call 
themselves  "The  Church  of  God,"  but  are  popularly 
known  as  "  Weinbrennerians."  He  was  treated  very 
leniently,  in  the  hope  that  he  would  be  brought  to 
recognize  his  errors;  but  when  it  was  finally  announced 


28O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

to  the  Synod,  convened  in  Mifflinburg,  in  1828,  that 
Mr.  Weinbrenner  had  refused  to  heed  its  citations, 
and  was  even  then  preaching  against  the  doctrine  of 
Infant  Baptism,  his  name  was  reluctantly  erased  from 
the  roll  of  members. 

In  consequence  of  the  declination  of  Dr.  Helffcn- 
stein,  and  of  the  contemporaneous  troubles  in  the 
church  at  Harrisburg,  the  second  attempt  to  estab- 
lish a  Theological  Seminary  proved  a  failure.  It  was 
a  season  of  gloom  and  depression,  and  some  of  the 
best  men  in  the  Church  seriously  contemplated  the 
necessity  of  seeking  a  home  in  some  other  ecclesias- 
tical connection.  Fortunately  for  the  Church,  their 
discouragement  was  not  of  long  duration.  It  proved 
to  be  the  darkness  that  precedes  the  dawn. 

THE   SEMINARY    FOUNDED    AT    CARLISLE. 

At  the  Synod  convened  in  Bedford  Pa.,  in  1824,  a 
communication  was  received  from  the  Trustees  of 
Dickinson  College — then  under  the  control  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church — inviting  the  Reformed  Church 
to  establish  its  Theological  Seminary  at  Carlisle,  in 
close  connection  with  the  literary  institution  which 
they  represented.  The  college  was  to  furnish  suitable 
rooms  for  the  use  of  the  Seminary,  and  to  permit 
theological  students  to  attend  the  lectures  of  certain 
of  its  professors  free  of  charge.  In  return  for  these 
favors,  the  Professor  of  Theology  was  to  occupy  the 
chair  of  History  and  German  Literature  in  the  col- 


THE   SEMINARY    FOUNDED    AT    CARLISLE. 


23l 


lege.  The  scheme  certainly  looked  promising,  and  we 
are  not  surprised  to  find  that  the  Synod  immediately 
accepted  it.  The  call  to  Dr.  HelfFenstein  was  renewed, 
with  the  proviso  that,  in  case  of  his  non-acceptance, 


LEWIS  MAYER. 


a  similar  call  should  be  extended  to  the  Rev.  Lewis 
Mayer,  pastor  of  the  Reformed  church  of  York,  Pa. 
Helffenstein  declining,  Mayer  was  called.  The  latter 
having  accepted  the  call,  the  Theological  Seminary 
was  opened  on  the  eleventh  clay  of  March,  1825,  at 
Carlisle,  Pa.  The  first  class  of  students  numbered  five, 
of  whom  the  late  Rev.  John  G.  Fritchey  was  the  last 
survivor.  The  annual  salary  of  the  Professor  of  The- 
ology was  fixed  at  $700,  which  was  to  be  paid  out  of 
the  Treasury  of  Synod. 


282  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

The  position  of  Professor  was,  under  these  circum- 
stances, by  no  means  attractive,  and  the  Church  was 
fortunate  in  being  able  to  secure  the  services  of  Dr. 
Mayer.  He  was  in  many  respects  an  extraordinary 
man.  In  his  youth  he  had  enjoyed  few  opportunities  of 
literary  culture,  but  perseverance  had  enabled  him  to 
surmount  unusual  obstacles.  He  was  not  only  an  excel- 
lent classical  scholar,  but  was  familiar  with  several 
modern  languages,  besides  German  and  English,  and 
took  great  interest  in  the  study  of  certain  branches  of 
Natural  Science.  In  Theology  he  was  fully  abreast  with 
his  American  cotemporaries ;  and  though  subsequently 
accused  of  varying  on  minor  points  from  the  accepted 
standards,  it  is  affirmed  by  competent  judges  that  this 
divergence  was  more  apparent  than  real.  In  the  main 
his  system  agreed  with  the  current  Reformed  theology 
of  his  day;  and  his  memory  is  justly  revered  in  the 
institution  of  which,  with  great  self-sacrifice,  he  helped 
to  lay  the  foundations. 

At  first  the  Seminary  enjoyed  the  support  of  but  a 
portion  of  the  Church,  and  even  among  its  friends  there 
were  many  who  were  doubtful  with  regard  to  its  ulti- 
mate success.  It  was  therefore  necessary  to  resort  to 
extraordinary  means  to  secure  funds  for  its  endowment. 
During  the  summer  of  1825  Rev.  James  R.  Reily,  one 
of  the  most  zealous  friends  of  the  Seminary,  visited  Ger- 
many to  solicit  contributions  towards  an  enterprise  that 
was  so  intimately  related  to  the  welfare  of  emigrants 
from  the  Fatherland.  He  was  very  kindly  received, 


THE   SEMINARY   AT   YORK,  PA.  283 

especially  in  Holland,  Prussia,  and  Switzerland,  and  col- 
lected $6,700,  in  money  and  books.  One  of  the  most 
liberal  contributors  was  His  Majesty,  Frederick  William 
III.,  King  of  Prussia,  and  many  volumes  presented  by 
him  are  still  in  the  library  of  the  Seminary.  About  the 
same  time  Rev.  J.  C.  Beecher,  of  Shepherdstown,  Va., 
succeeded  in  this  country  in  collecting  a  handsome  sum 
for  the  endowment  of  the  Semimary,  and  thus,  it  is  said, 
saved  it  from  financial  ruin. 

The  arrangement  with  Dickinson  College,  at  Car- 
lisle, did  not  prove  satisfactory.  The  college  was 
financially  involved,  and  found  itself  unable  to  provide 
proper  accommodations  for  the  Seminary.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  college  students  did  not  desire  to 
study  German,  and  Dr.  Mayer,  therefore,  found  him- 
self unable  to  make  a  proper  return  for  even  the 
scanty  favors  which  had  been  shown  him.  For  these, 
and  other  reasons,  it  was  concluded,  in  1829,  that 
Carlisle  was  not  a  satisfactory  location  for  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  The  effects  of  the  institution  were 
still  few  in  number,  and  their  removal  was  easily 
accomplished. 

THE   SEMINARY    AT   YORK,  PA. 

The  Seminary  was  re-organized  at  York,  Pa.,  on 
the  iith  of  November,  1829,  and  was  conducted  in 
this  place  until  the  autumn  of  1837.  It  was  a  time 
of  many  trials,  caused  principally  by  financial  embar- 
rassment. During  all  this  time  the  institution  was  in 


284  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

charge  of  Dr.  Mayer,  assisted,  in  1831,  by  the  Rev. 
Daniel  Young,  and  subsequently  by  Dr.  Frederick  A. 
Rauch.  The  number  of  students  who  completed  their 
theological  course  during  this  period  was  thirty-five. 

As  most  of  the  students  had  not  received  an  aca- 
demic training,  the  professors  found  it  necessary  from  the 
beginning  to  impart  instruction  in  the  different  branches 
of  a  preparatory  course.  The  way  was  thus  gradually 
prepared  for  the  establishment,  in  1831,  of  a  classical 
department,  which  was  known  as  the  High  School  of 
the  Reformed  Church. 

As  the  High  School  became  prosperous,  there  was 
a  general  desire  to  raise  it  to  the  rank  of  a  college. 
At  this  time  the  trustees  of  Franklin  College,  in  which 
the  Reformed  Church  still  retained  a  third  interest, 
made  liberal  offers  for  the  removal  of  the  High  School 
to  Lancaster;  but  as  the  institution  would,  at  that 
place,  have  been  under  the  control  of  several  denom- 
inations, and  as  the  connection  of  a  theological 
seminary  with  Franklin  College  was  not  desired,  the 
invitation  was  respectfully  declined.  Proposals  were 
received  from  the  citizens  of  Mercersburg,  and  at  the 
Synod  of  Chambersburg,  in  1835,  these  proposals  were 
accepted.  The  literary  institution  was  at  once  removed 
to  Mercersburg,  but  the  seminary  remained  two  years 
longer  in  York,  under  the  care  of  Rev.  Dr.  Mayer. 

MARSHALL   COLLEGE. 

This    institution    was   organized   in    Mercersburg    in 


FREDERICK    A.  RAUCH. 


285 


accordance  with  a  charter  granted  by  the  Legislature 
of  Pennsylvania,  which  at  the  same  time  voted  an 
appropriation  of  twelve  thousand  dollars  to  its  endow- 
ment. It  was  named  in  honor  of  Chief  Justice  John 
Marshall,  who  was  then  in  the  zenith  of  his  fame,  but 
died  in  the  same  year. 


The  Rev.  F.  A.  Rauch,  Ph.  D.,  who  had  previously 
been  principal  of  the  High  School,  became  the  first  presi- 
dent of  Marshall  College.1  He  was  born  in  Hesse  Darm- 
stadt in  1806,  and  had  been  thoroughly  educated  at  the 

1  Dr.  Ra.uch's  portrait  is  believed  never  to  have  been  taken  from  life, 
but  after  his  death  an  imperfect  sketch  of  his  features  was  made  by  one 
of  his  friends.  From  this  sketch  all  existing  portraits  are  derived,  aiid  it 
is  well  understood  that  they  fail  to  do  justice  to  the  original. 


286  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

University  of  Marburg.  For  a  short  time  he  was  pro- 
fessor extraordinary  at  Giessen,  but  came  to  America  in 
1831,  on  account  of  political  complications  in  his  native 
land.  After  serving  for  some  time  as  Professor  of  Ger- 
man in  Lafayette  College,  he  was  called  by  the  Reformed 
Church  to  take  charge  of  its  classical  institution.  He 
continued  in  this  position  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
March  2,  1841.  In  1840  he  published  his  work  on 
"  Psychology,"  which  may  be  said  to  have  introduced 
this  science  to  the  attention  of  American  students.  A 
more  extensive  work  on  "  Ethics "  was  left  unfinished. 
A  volume  of  his  sermons,  entitled  "  The  Inner  Life  of 
the  Christian,"  was  subsequently  edited  and  published  by 
Rev.  Dr.  E.  V.  Gerhart  Dr.  Rauch's  remains  were  re- 
moved from  Mercersburg  to  Lancaster  in  1859,  and  were 
solemnly  re-interred  in  Lancaster  Cemetery.  A  hand- 
some monument  to  his  memory  has  been  erected  in  front 
of  the  college-building. 

In  1837  the  unnatural  separation  of  the  College  and 
Seminary  was  brought  to  a  conclusion  by  the  removal  of 
the  latter  institution  to  Mercersburg.  Dr.  Mayer,  who 
was  unwilling  to  go  with  the  Seminary,  resigned  and 
remained  in  York.  From  this  time,  for  many  years,  the 
history  of  the  two  institutions  runs  parallel,  and  may  be 
simultaneously  considered. 

THE    SEMINARY   AND   COLLEGE   IN    MERCERSBURG. 

For  one  year  the  whole  course  of  theological  instruc- 
tion was  in  charge  of  Dr.  Rauch,  and  in  1837-38  there 


THE  SEMINARY  AND  COLLEGE  IN  MERCERSBUKG.        287 


was  but  one  student  in  the  Seminary.  Then  Dr. 
at  the  urgent  request  of  Synod,  consented  to  resume  his 
place;  but  he  remained  in  Mercersburg  only  one  year 
and,  in  1839,  finally  withdrew.  In  the  same  year  a 
call  to  a  professorship  was  extended  to  Dr.  J.  C.  Becker, 
of  Northampton  county,  Pa.,  but  he  declined  to  leave  his 


THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY. 


pastoral  work.  Dr.  Rauch's  failing  health  warned  the 
church  that  the  powers  of  a  single  individual,  however 
capable,  were  unequal  to  the  task  of  performing  the  two- 
fold duty  of  Professor  of  Theology  and  President  of 
Marshall  College.  Accordingly,  at  a  special  meeting  of 
the  Synod,  held  in  Chambersburg  early  in  1840,  the 
vacant  chair  of  Professor  of  Systematic  Theology  was 


288 


HISTORIC    MANUAL. 


JOHN   WILLIAMSON    NEVIN. 


JOHN    WILLIAMSON    NEVIN.  289 

filled  by  the  election  of  the  Rev.  John  Williamson  Nevin,1 
D.  D.,  then  Professor  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
AHeghany,  Pa.  After  due  consideration  he  accepted  the 
appointment,  and  entered  upon  its  dutes  in  the  month  of 
May  of  the  year  of  his  election.  "  This  change  of  posi- 
tion "  says  one  of  his  recent  biographers,  "  was  not  con- 
sidered to  be  of  itself  any  change  of  denominational  faith, 
only  a  transition  from  one  section  of  the  general  Re- 
formed confession  to  another,  and  took  place  accordingly 
with  the  full  approbation  and  favor  of  the  friends  of  Dr. 
Nevin  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  under  the  advice 
of  Dr.  Archibald  Alexander,  his  former  theological  in- 
structor at  Princeton."2 

During  his  residence  in  AHeghany,  Dr.  Nevin  had  be- 
gun to  study  the  German  language,  and  to  take  a  pro- 
found interest  in  German  Theology.  He  was  therefore 
better  prepared  than  most  English  divines  to  understand 
the  proper  character  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  to 
enter  intelligently  upon  the  special  work  to  which  he 
had  been  called.  "The  death  of  Dr.  Rauch,  in  1841, 
made  it  necessary  for  Dr.  Nevin  to  assume  the  tempo- 

1  John  Williamson  Nevin,  D  D.,  LL.  D.,  was  born  in  Franklin  Co., 
Pa.,  Feb.  20,  1803.  Graduated  in  Union  College,  1821.  Studied  Theol- 
ogy at  Princeton,  and  was  for  two  years  assistant  teacher  there,  during 
which  time  he  wrote  "  liiblical  Antiquities."  Professor  in  the  Theological 
Seminary  at  AHeghany,  Pa.,  1829-1839.  Professor  of  Theology  in  Mer- 
cersburg,  1840-1851,  and  President  of  Marshall  College,  1841-1853. 
President  of  Franklin  and  Marshall  College.  1865-1876.  He  died  at  Caer- 
narvon Place,  near  Lancaster,  Pa.,  June  6,  1886. 

J  Ellis  and  Evans's  "  History  of  Lancaster  County.''  p.  424. 
'9 


2QO  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

rary  presidency  of  the  college,  which  was  afterwards 
made  permanent,  and  which  position  he  filled  for  ten 
years  without  receiving  any  salary."1  "In  1843,"  says 
the  writer  from  whom  we  have  just  quoted,  "  he  became 
involved  in  what  has  been  known  as  the  '  Anxious  Bench 
controversy,'  through  the  publication  of  his  tract  called 
'  The  Anxious  Bench,'  directed  against  the  use  of  cer- 
tain means  and  methods  employed  extensively  at  the 
time  among  different  denominations  in  the  service  of  re- 
ligious revivals,  which  has  been  regarded  as  the  begin- 
ning of  the  movement  since  spoken  of  as  the  Mercers- 
burg  Theology." 

For  three  years  after  the  death  of  Dr.  Rauch,  Dr. 
Nevin,  assisted  only  by  a  teacher,  of  Hebrew,  had  sole 
charge  of  the  Theological  Seminary.  There  was,  how- 
ever, an  earnest  desire  in  the  church  to  aid  him  by 
securing  a  German  professor  to  carry  on  the  work  which 
had  been  begun  by  the  lamented  Rauch. 

In  1843  the  Synod  unanimously  elected  to  this  posi- 
tion the  Rev  Dr.  F.  W.  Krummacher,  of  Elberfeld, 
Prussia.  As  Dr.  Krummacher  was  the  most  celebrated 
pulpit  orator  of  Germany,  they  would  not  have  ventured 
to  extend  the  call  without  previous  assurances  that  it 
would  be  favorably  considered.  Rev.  Drs.  T.  L.  Hof- 


1  In  1841  the  German  Reformed  Church  celebrated  the  Centennial 
anniversary  of  its  organization  in  this  country.  The  date  was  arbitrarily 
chosen,  and  the  celebration  was  by  no  means  universal ;  but  the  offerings 
of  the  churches,  which  were  mainly  appropriated  to  Marshall  College  and 
the  Theological  Seminary,  were  of  great  advantage  to  these  incipient  in- 
sti'utions. 


PHILIP   SCHAFF.  2QI 

feditz  and  B.  S.  Schneck  were  appointed  commissioners 
to  present  the  call  in  person.  They  sailed  for  Europe  in 
the  following  May,  and  were  very  cordially  received  in 
the  Fatherland.  Dr.  Krummacher,  however,  finally  felt 
constrained  to  decline,  especially  as  the  Prussian  govern- 
ment expressed  a  decided  disinclination  to  his  removal. 
Unwilling  to  return  to  America  without  having  accom- 
plished their  mission,  the  commissioners  consulted  with 
some  of  the  leading  divines  of  Germany,  and  were  by 
them  directed  to  the  Rev.  Philip  Schaff,  Ph.  D.,1  who  was 
at  that  time  a  professor  extraordinary  in  the  University 
of  Berlin.  On  their  return  to  America  the  delegates  pro- 
posed his  name  to  the  Synod,  and  he  was  unanimously 
elected.  He  was  installed  Professor  of  Church  History 
and  Biblical  Literature,  in  the  city  of  Reading,  on  the 
2  5th  of  October,  1844. 

Dr.  Schaff's  inaugural  address,  "  The  Principle  of 
Protestantism,"  was  published  in  German  and  English, 
and  at  once  attracted  extraordinary  attention.  Its  ability 
was  universally  recognized,  but  it  contained  views  con- 
cerning its  subject  which,  however  well  known  in 
Europe,  appeared  new  to  American  readers,  and  pro- 
voked no  small  amount  of  adverse  criticism.  They  even 
led  to  an  investigation  on  the  part  of  the  Synod,  in  1845, 
which  resulted  in  an  almost  unanimous  expression  of 
confidence  in  the  orthodoxy  of  the  professor. 

1  Philip  Schaff,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  was  born  at  Chur,  Switzerland,  Jan.  I, 
1819.  He  is  at  present  a  Professor  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  in 
New  York,  and  has  an  international  reputation  as  R  distinguished  theo- 
logian and  author. 


292  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

The  succeeding  years  were  marked  by  intense  theo- 
logical and  literary  activity.  The  two  professors,  Drs. 
Nevin  and  Schaff,  labored  together  in  perfect  harmony, 
and  their  united  influence  was  felt  far  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  Reformed  Church.  In  1846  Dr.  Nevin  published 
"  The  Mystical  Presence,  a  vindication  of  the  Reformed 
or  Calvinistic  Doctrine  of  the  Holy  Eucharist ;"  a  book 
which  has  been  regarded  as  marking  an  epoch  in  the 
history  of  American  Theology.  This  was  followed  in 
1847  by  "  The  History  and  Genius  of  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism,"  and  in  1848  by  a  tract  entitled  "  Antichrist, 
or  the  Spirit  of  Sect  and  Schism."  In  the  latter  year 
Dr.  Schaff  began  the  publication  of  the  "  Kirchenfreund^ 
a  monthly  magazine  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the 
German  Churches  of  America;  and  in  1849  Dr.  Nevin 
was  instrumental  in  founding  the  "  Mercersburg  Re- 
view," of  which  he  remained  the  editor  and  chief  con- 
tributor until  1853.  During  the  same  period,  Dr.  Schaff 
wrote  his  History  of  the  Apostolic  Church,"  which  ap- 
peared in  German  in  1851,  and  was  subsequently  trans- 
lated into  English,  under  the  direction  of  the  author,  by 
the  Rev.  Edward  D.  Yeomans.  The  same  writer,  dur- 
ing his  connection  with  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Mercersburg  published  a  "German  Hymn-Book" 
(1859);  "America,  its  Political,  Social,  and  Religious 
Character"  (1854);  ''Germany,  its  Universities  and 
Divines"  (1857);  "History  of  the  Christian  Church  of 
the  First  Three  Centuries"  (1858);  besides  various 
minor  tracts  and  essays. 


THE  SEMINARY  AND  COLLEGE  IN  MERCERSBURG.       293 

The  remarkable  literary  activity  of  the  professors  at 
Mercersburg  naturally  attracted  great  attention.  Ger- 
man Theology  and  Philosophy  were  in  those  days  com- 
paratively unknown  in  this  country,  and  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing that  their  introduction  should  have  induced  contro- 
versy and  opposition.  The  subjects  discussed  were  pro- 
foundly interesting,  and  were  treated  with  unusual  free- 
dom of  thought  and  expression. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  consider  in  detail  the  long 
controversies  which  were  thus  inaugurated,  In  a  gen- 
eral way  it  may  be  remarked  that  the  questions  which 
were  under  discussion  belonged  rather  to  the  Church  in 
general  than  to  any  single  denomination,  and  that  there 
is  hardly  an  ancient  and  historical  church  in  the  world 
which  has  not  been  shaken  by  the  conflicts  which  they 
induced. 

In  the  Reformed  Church  these  controversies  were 
conducted  with  extraordinary  energy  and  ability.  Grad- 
ually the  utterances  of  the  Professors  at  Mercersburg 
and  their  coadjutors  came  to  be  known  as  "  Mercersburg 
Theology  " — a  term  which  was  at  first  introduced  by  its 
opponents,  but  was  subsequently  tacitly  accepted  by  its 
friends.  It  did  not  properly  designate  an  organized 
theological  system,  but  a  movement  in  the  life  of  the 
Church;  and  consequently  left  room  for  injudicious  and 
extreme  utterances  on  the  part  of  professed  friends, 
which  did  it  more  harm  than  the  attacks  of  its  most  vio- 
lent opponents. 

It  is  probably  still  too  soon  to  express  a  judgment 


294  •    HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

with  reference  to  what  has  been  called  "  Mercersburcr 

•  o 

Theology "  and  the  controversies  connected  with  it 
For  those  who  desire  to  study  the  questions  involved, 
there  is  a  whole  literature,  consisting  of  the  controversial 
publications  of  the  period.  No  doubt  there  were  errors 
on  both  sides,  and  on  both  sides  there  were  individuals 
who  renounced  the  Church  of  their  fathers  because  they 
felt  themselves  unable  to  mould  its  faith  and  direct  its 
counsels.  The  faith  of  the  Reformed  Church  was,  how- 
ever, studied  not  only  by  ministers,  but  by  the  people; 
and  its  historical  relations  to  other  Christian  denomina- 
tions came  to  be  intelligently  comprehended.  The 
Heidelberg  Catechism,  which  had  in  great  measure  been 
crowded  out  of  practical  use  by  catechisms  prepared  by 
individual  ministers,  was  now  reestablished  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people,  not  in  name  only,  but  in  spirit  and 
truth.  It  was  a  great  blessing  that  in  these  contro- 
versies there  was  no  tendency  on  either  side  towards  the 
rationalism  which  had  been  so  prevalent  in  Europe,  but 
that  through  many  difficulties  and  trials  the  Church  was 
evidently  struggling  onwards  towards  a  clearer  appre- 
hension of  the  central  verities  of  the  Christian  faith. 
For  these  and  other  reasons,  we  have  no  hesitation  in 
affirming  that  the  period  of  "  the  Mercersburg  move- 
ment "  was  not  a  time  of  retrogression  but  of  genuine 
advancement. 

In  1853,  Marshall  College  was  removed  to  Lancaster,1 

1  Marshall  College,  while  at  Mercersburg,  held  high  rank  as  a  literary 
institution.     The  number  of  students  was  large,  and  nearly  two  hundred 


MARSHALL    COLLEGE.  295 

but  the  Theological  Seminary  remained  in  Mercersburg 
until  1871.  Dr.  Nevin  had  retired  in  1851,  but  Dr. 
Schaff  continued  in  connection  with  the  latter  institution 
until  1865.  Rev.  Bernard  C.  Wolff,  D.  D.,  held  the 
chair  of  Systematic  Theology  from  1852  to  1864.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Henry  Harbaugh,  D.  D.,  who 
occupied  the  position  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 

1867.  Rev.    E.    E.    Higbee,   D.   D.,   was   Professor  of 
Church   History  and   Exegesis  from    1865  to  1871.     In 

1868,  Rev.  E.  V.  Gerhart,  D.  D.,  was  chosen  to  fill  the 
place  vacated  by  the  death  of  Dr.  Harbaugh.     He  was 
the  only  member  of  the  faculty  who  accompanied  the 
Seminary  to  Lancaster. 

In  1857  the  Synod  established  a  Theological  Tutor- 
ship, partly  by  s  fund  invested  in  Germany,  the  gift  of 
Baron  von  Bethman-Hollweg,  which  had  been  made 
available  for  this  purpose,  and  partly  by  gifts  from  indi- 
viduals and  Classes.  The  successive  incumbents  while 
the  institution  was  in  Mercersburg  were  William  M. 
Reily,  A.  M.,  and  Jacob  B.  Kerschner,  A.  M. 

The  largest  contributions  to  the  endowment  of  the  in- 
stitution received  during  this  period  were  a  bequest  of 
ten  thousand  dollars  from  the  estate  of  Mr.  Daniel 
Kieffer,  of  Berks  County,  and  a  gift  of  five  thousand  dol- 
lars from  Miss  Ann  E.  Keller. 

were  graduated  in  the  regular  classical  course.  The  difficulties  which 
necessitated  the  acceptance  of  propositions  of  union  from  Franklin  Col- 
lege, were  purely  financial.  It  is  believed  that  a  book  will  soon  be  pre- 
pared in  which  the  history  of  our  literary  institutions  will  be  more 
minutely  related  than  is  possible  in  the  present  volume. 


296  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

In  1871,  Rev.  Thomas  G.  Apple,  D.  D.,  was  elected 
Professor  of  Church  History  and  Exegesis,  and  Rev.  F. 
A.  Cast,  D.  D.,  was  appointed  tutor.  Two  years  later 
(1873)  the  tutorship  was  changed  to  a  full  Professorship, 
and  Dr.  Cast  was  elected  professor.  The  faculty  is  now 
constituted  as  follows:  Rev.  E.  V.  Gerhart,  D.  D.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Systematic  and  Practical  Theology ;  Rev  T.  G. 
Apple,  D.  D.,  Professor  of  Church  History  and  Exegesis; 
and  Rev.  F.  A.  Cast,  D.  D.,  Professor  of  Hebrew  and 
Old  Testament  Theology. 

When  this  Theological  Seminary  was  organized  there 
were  about  eighty  ministers  in  connection  with  the  (Ger- 
man) Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States;  now  there 
are  nearly  eight  hundred.  Other  theological  institutions 
have  since  been  established,  and  these  have  done  their 
full  share  in  the  work  of  supplying  the  Church  with  an 
educated  ministry  ;  but  an  important  part  of  this  progress 
and  success  is  naturally  due  to  the  institution  which  was 
first  in  the  field,  and  which  now  numbers  about  four  hun- 
dred ministers  upon  its  roll  of  graduates.  In  1884  the 
Synods  of  the  United  States,  Pittsburg,  and  the  Potomac, 
each  resolved  to  provide  for  the  endowment  of  an  addi- 
tional professorship.  When  this  work  is  completed  there 
will  be  six  professors  in  connection  with  the  institution, 
and  its  efficiency  and  influence  will  be  greatly  increased. 
The  demand  for  thoroughly  educated  ministers  has  never 
been  more  urgent  than  it  is  at  present,  and  we  therefore 
trust  that  our  Theological  Seminaries  will  continue  to 
enjoy  the  favor  of  the  Church. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

7'//^  Synod  of  Ohio — Western   Theological  Seminary — Literary 
Institutions  in  the  East  and  West. 

WE  have  now  reached  a  period  when  the  materials 
of  history  become  abundant.  It  may  be  said,  in  a 
general  way,  that  it  was  a  time  of  gradual  growth  and 
advancement,  though  a  large  portion  of  the  Church  as 
yet  failed  to  appreciate  the  importance  of  unity  and 
co-operation.  We  can  only  refer  to  a  few  of  the  sub- 
jects Which  occupied  the  attention  of  the  Church,  and 
in  considering  them  we  crave  the  liberty  of  frequently 
departing  from  a  strictly  chronological  order. 

THE   SYNOD    OF   OHIO. 

We  have  already  referred  to  several  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  Great  West.  The  first 
Reformed  minister  settled  within  the  limits  of  the 
present  State  of  Ohio  is  believed  to  have  been  the 
Rev.  Jacob  Christman,  who  began  to  labor  in  Warren 
county  in  1803.  In  the  following  year  (1804)  that 
truly  apostolic  man,  the  Rev.  John  Jacob  Larose, 
entered  upon  the  field,  and  for  many  years  his  exten- 
sive missionary  journeys  were  a  source  of  comfort  to 
hundreds  of  isolated  members  of  the  Church.  In 
1812  the  Synod  resolved  "to  send  certain  ministers 

(297) 


2Q8  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

i 

into  the  western  country,  to  visit  the  members  of  our 
Church  residing  there,"  and  "  that  a  collection  be  taken 
up  in  each  congregation  for  their  support."  The  min- 
isters appointed  to  this  service  were  William  Hendel, 
Jr.,  and  J.  W.  Dechant.  Hendel  was  subsequently 
excused,  but  Dechant  began  his  labors  in  Ohio  in 
1816.  Gradually  the  number  of  ministers  increased, 
and  in  1819,  when  the  Synod  of  the  United  States 
was  divided  into  Classes,  it  was  possible  to  form  a 
Classis  of  Ohio.  The  Classis  was  formally  organized 
at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  on  the  1st  of  May,  1820,  and  at 
that  time  included  five  ministers,  fifty  congregations, 
and  about  eighteen  hundred  communicants.  Four  years 
later  this  Classis,  at  its  meeting  in  New  Philadelphia, 
O.,  on  the  I4th  of  June,  1824,  resolved  itself  into  a 
synod,  under  the  title  of  "  The  German  Evangelical 
Reformed  Synod  of  Ohio."  On  this  occasion  but  eight 
ministers  were  present,  and  as  the  number  was  so 
small,  we  may  as  well  enumerate  them.  Their  names 
were  J.  P.  Mahnenschmidt,  Thomas  Winters,  George 
Weiss,  Benjamin  Faust,  Henry  Sonnedecker,  Daniel 
Rahauser,  David  Shearer,  and  William  Reiter.  John 
Jacob  Larose  and  Simon  Riegel  are  noted  as  absent, 
and  John  Peter  Dechant  as  having  died  within  the 
year.  David  Winters,  J.  Descombes,  and  John  Pence, 
were  admitted  to  membership  at  the  same  meeting. 
These  ministers  may  be  regarded  as  the  pioneers  of 
the  Synod  of  Ohio. 

The  occasion  which  induced  the  division  from  the  par- 


THE   SYNOD   OF   OHIO.  299 

ent  Synod  was  almost  identical  with  that  which  had 
originally  caused  the  separation  of  the  latter  from  the 
Church  of  Holland.  In  both  cases  the  superior  body 
regarded  the  ordination  of  ministers  as  its  special  pre- 
rogative, and  declined  to  grant  this  privilege  to  a  sub- 
ordinate organization.  In  1823  the  Classis  of  North- 
ampton applied  to  the  Synod  of  the  United  States  for 
permission  to  examine  a  candidate  (Mr.  Philip  Zeiser), 
and  "if  found  qualified  to  ordain  him  to  the  gospel  min- 
istry." The  Synod,  however,  declined  to  grant  the  re-  ' 
quest,  and  officially  declared  that  "  no  candidate  shall  in 
future  be  examined  and  ordained  except  by  Synod." 
As  might  have  been  expected,  the  members  of  the 
Classis  of  Ohio,  who  were  farthest  distant  from  the  cen- 
tre of  the  Church,  felt  aggrieved  by  this  decision.  It  was 
impracticable,  they  declared  in  their  published  protest, 
to  require  candidates  for  the  ministry  to  undertake  a 
long  and  expensive  journey  for  the  purpose  of  receiving 
ordination  from  the  hands  of  the  Synod.  "  The  money 
expended  in  traveling  over  the  mountains,"  they  said, 
"might  be  applied  to  much  better  advantage  in  building 
up  the  Church  at  home." 

As  there  seemed  to  be  little  hope  that  the  Synod 
would  rescind  its  action,  the  only  course  which  sug- 
gested itself  to  the  Classis  of  Ohio  was  to  declare  its  in- 
dependence, and  to  assume  the  privilege  to  which  it  be- 
lieved itself  justly  entitled.  There  was  but  little  per- 
sonal feeling  involved  in  this  action ;  it  was  the  cutting 
of  a  knot  which  the  Classis  found  itself  unable  to  untie. 


3OO  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

The  course  taken  was  irregular,  but  it  may  be  regarded 
as  to  some  extent  warranted  by  urgent  necessity. 

For  some  years  after  the  separation  there  was,  it  is 
true,  a  certain  coldness  between  the  two  Synods,  and 
they  had  but  little  direct  communication;  but  each  re- 
garded the  other  as  belonging  to  the  same  Church,  and 
ministers  were  -dismissed  from  one  to  the  other  without 
hesitation.  The  Synod  of  the  United  States,  having  in 
the  meantime  granted  to  its  Classes  the  privilege  of  per- 
forming the  rite  of  ordination,  several  times  invited  the 
Synod  of  Ohio  to  resume  its  former  classical  relations  ; 
but  the  latter  felt  that  it  had  a  special  mission,  and  was 
naturally  unwilling  to  occupy  a  subordinate  position.  In 
1837  the  Classis  of  West  Pennsylvania,  which  had 
hitherto  belonged  to  the  Synod  of  the  United  States,  be- 
came connected  with  the  Synod  of  Ohio,  and  the  latter 
thus  became  a  much  stronger  and  more  efficient  body. 
Its  territory  had,  however,  become  greatly  enlarged,  and 
the  difficulty  of  convening  its  members  was  accordingly 
increased.  The  charges  were  widely  scattered,  and  the 
ministers  who  resided  on  the  frontiers  often  endured 
great  dangers  and  privations  on  their  way  to  the  place 
of  meeting.  With  a  view  of  decreasing  these  difficul- 
ties, and  of  promoting  the  efficiency  of  its  practical 
operations,  the  Ohio  Synod,  during  its  annual  sessions 
at  Lancaster,  Ohio,  in  June  1839,  divided  its  territory 
into  three  District  Synods  which  were  to  meet  annually, 
and  constituted  itself  a  General  Synod,  to  meet  every 
third  year. 


THE   SYNOD    OF    OHIO.  3O1 

This  arrangement,  it  seems,  did  not  prove  satisfac- 
tory, and  three  years  later  it  was  abandoned.  In  that 
year  (1842)  the  Triennial  General  Synod  of  Ohio  con- 
vened at  Canton,  and  proved  a  very  important  assem- 
bly. It  entered  largely  into  the  work  of  reconstruc- 
tion and  re-adjustment,  and  exerted  an  important 
influence  on  the  general  life  of  the  Church.  A  plan 
of  co-operation  with  the  Synod  of  the  United  States 
by  the  interchange  of  delegates  was  adopted,  and,  in 
place  of  its  own,  it  adopted  the  Constitution  of  the 
latter  body.  This  system  of  correspondence  was  con- 
tinued until  the  organization  of  the  present  General 
Synod  rendered  it  no  longer  necessary. 

In  doctrine  and  discipline  there  was,  at  this  time, 
no  important  difference  between  the  East  and  West. 
At  the  time  of  its  organization  the  Synod  of  Ohio 
had  declared  its  unalterable  attachment  to  the  Heid- 
elberg Catechism  and  the  ancient  usages  of  the  Church, 
and  had,  in  1832,  published  a  Constitution  which  fully 
harmonized  with  this  profession.  The  doctrinal  and 
practical  questions  which  claimed  the  attention  of  the 
synods  were  generally  the  same,  though  slightly  varied 
by  local  circumstances.  Thus,  for  instance,  in  the 
West  the  conflict  concerning  the  propriety  of  employ- 
ing extraordinary  measures  for  the  promotion  of  revi- 
vals of  religion  was  more  intense  than  in  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  Church,  and  even  resulted  in  the  for- 
mation, in  1846,  of  the  "German  Independent  Synod 
of  Ohio,"  which  after  a  separate  existence  of  six  years 


332  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

re- united  in  a  body  with  the  Ohio  Synod.  As  a  gen- 
eral thing  there  was,  in  all  sections  of  the  Church, 
great  reverence  for  the  ancient  landmarks,  though 
there  were  many  who  recognized  the  danger  of  falling 
into  a  state  of  heartless  formalism,  and  some  who  in 
their  opposition  to  this  evil  suffered  their  zeal  to  outrun 
the  bounds  of  their  discretion.  "  It  is  evident,"  says  Dr. 
I.  H.  Reiter,  with  reference  to  the  early  days  of  the 
Ohio  Synod,  "  that  the  idea  of  the  supernatural  and  the 
divine  elements  of  Christianity  was  not  ignored  or  dis- 
carded. This  appears  from  certain  facts  and  official  acts. 
The  fathers,  as  foreshadowed  in  the  parochial  reports, 
as  well  as  in  the  synodical  records,  were  not  only 
'  churchly/  but  faithful  to  the  customs  of  the  Church,  to 
the  practice  of  catechisation,  and  to  the  proper  use  of  the 
means  of  grace.  The  ordinances  of  divine  appointment 
were  valued  and  observed.  In  1830,  with  the  view  of 
giving  due  prominence  and  significance  to  the  Divine 
Ordinances,  the  Synod  made  it  the  duty  of  every  minis- 
ter to  make  proper  account  of  the  worship  of  the  sanct- 
uary and  to  administer  the  Lord's  Supper  at  least  twice 
in  each  year  in  all  the  congregations.  And  from  the  re- 
ports of  baptisms,  it  is  evident  that  this  ordinance  was 
generally  observed." 

"  It  also  appears  from  the  official  record,  that  due 
regard  was  had  for  the  leading  Church  Festivals,  such 
as  Christmas,  Good  Friday,  Easter,  and  Pentecost ;  and, 
in  1837,  it  was  resolved  'that  Good  Friday  be  observed 
throughout  the  Church  as  a  day  of  prayer.'  This 


THE   WESTERN   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY.  303 

evinces  a  spirit  of  true  devotion  and  consecration,  as  well 
as  churchliness."1 

THE   WESTERN   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY. 

As  early  as  1834  the  Synod  of  Ohio  had  officially 
declared  that  it  entertained  "  the  exalted  intention  of 
establishing  an  institution  for  the  education  of  worthy 
young  men  for  the  gospel  ministry,  that  the  vacant 
places  of  the  West  may  be  filled  with  the  Word  and 
Gospel  of  Life."  Years  passed  before  this  laudable 
purpose  could  be  consummated.  In  1838  there  was  an 
attempt  to  establish  a  Theological  Seminary  at  Canton, 
Ohio.  The  Rev.  J.  G.  Buettner,  Ph.  D.,  a  well  educated 
German,  had  become  pastor  of  several  congregations  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  latter  place,  and  it  occurred  to  the 
Synod  to  employ  his  services  in  the  instruction  of  candi- 
idates  for  the  ministry.  He  was  accordingly  elected 
Professor  of  Theology,  and  an  annual  stipend  of  $250 
was  promised  him  for  his  educational  work.  Though  a 
man  of  some  scholastic  ability,  Dr.  Buettner  appears  to 
have  been  unable  to  adapt  himself  to  American  life,  and 
in  1839  he  resigned  his  congregations  and  soon  after- 
wards returned  to  Europe.  With  his  departure  the 
incipient  institution  ceased  to  exist.  Nine  years  later,  in 
1848,  another  attempt  was  made  to  establish  a  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  and  this  time  the  chosen  location  was 
Columbus,  Ohio.  The  Rev.  A.  P.  Freeze  was  elected 
Professor,  but  for  various  reasons  his  work  proved 

1  "AV/!    Quarterly  Review"    1879,  p.   156. 


304  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

unsuccessful,  and  he  resigned.  After  several  other 
abortive  attempts,  the  Synod,  in  1850,  resolved  to  found 
Heidelberg  College  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  and  in  connection 
with  it  to  establish  a  Theological  Seminary..  The  first 
Professor  of  Theology  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  E.  V.  Gerhart, 
then  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  who  formally  opened  the  latter 
institution  in  May,  1851,  with  two  students.  Since  that 
time  the  Seminary  has  been  steadily  at  work,  and  the  in- 
creased prosperity  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  West 
is  in  great  measure  due  to  its  labors.  For  ten  years 
after  the  organization  there  was  but  one  professor  to  at- 
tend to  the  full  course  of  study:  Dr.  E.  V.  Gerhart  from 
1851  to  1855,  and  Dr.  Moses  Kieffer,  from  1855  to 
1 86 1.  In  the  latter  year  Dr.  Herman  Rust  was  called 
to  a  second  professorship.  Dr.  Kieffer  resigned  in  1868, 
and  in  the  succeeding  year  Dr.  J.  H.  Good  was  chosen 
his  successor.  Since  that  time  the  Faculty  has  con- 
sisted of  Dr.  J.  H.  Good  and  Dr.  Herman  Rust.  The 
course  of  instruction  is  thorough  and  complete,  and  the 
institution  is  in  every  respect  worthy  of  the  confidence 
and  affection  of  the  Church. 

LITERARY    INSTITUTIONS. 

The  work  of  the  ministry  demands  thorough  prepara- 
tion, and  the  Reformed  Church  is  therefore  profoundly 
interested  in  the  prosperity  of  her  Literary  Institutions. 
The  Theological  and  Classical  department  of  study  can 
never  be  sundered  without  serious  loss ;  the  one  will 
always  remain  the  proper  complement  and  completion 


LITERARY    INSTITUTIONS.  30$ 

of  the  other.  It  is  not  without  reason,  therefore,  that 
ministers  connected  with  the  Faculties  of  our  Literary 
Institutions  are  recognized  as  performing  the  full  duties 
of  their  ministry,  and  that  contributions  to  the  support 
of  these  institutions  are  acknowledged  to  be  gifts  of 
Christian  charity  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  term.  It 
may  perhaps  be  well  to  conclude  the  present  chapter  by 
enumerating  the  Literary  Institutions  in  the  East  and 
West  which  are  at  present  engaged  in  the  service  of 
the  Church. 

Franklin  and  Marshall  College,  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  was 
founded  in  1853  by  the  consolidation  of  two  older  in- 
stitutions, of  which  it  is,  therefore,  the  proper  historical 
continuation.  Marshall  College  was  for  the  purpose  of 
this  union  removed  from  Mercersburg  and  united  with 
old  Franklin  College,  whose  early  history  has  already 
been  somewhat  minutely  related.  In  this  way  it  became 
possible  to  use  the  endowment  of  Franklin  College 
for  the  purposes  for  which  it  had  been  originally  in- 
tended. 

The  amount  paid  according  to  agreement  to  the 
trustees  of  Pennsylvania  College,  at  Gettysburg, 'for  the 
Lutheran  interest  in  Franklin  College,  amounted  to  $17,- 
169.61.  This  sum  was  collected  in  the  Reformed 
Churches,  and  the  endowment  of  Franklin  College  thus 
remained  intact.  At  the  same  time  the  one- third  inter- 
est supposed  to  belong  to  the  "  outside  community  "  was 
formally  transferred  to  the  Reformed  Church.  Since 
that  time-  the  largest  individual  additions  to  the  endow- 


306  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

meat  have  been  derived  from  the  legacy  of  Mr.  Lewis 
Audenried,  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  donation  of  the 
Wilhelm  family,  of  Somerset  county.  The  College  has 
also  recently  received  a  very  acceptable  gift  of  $  10,000 
from  Mrs.  James  M.  Hood,  of  Frederick,  Maryland,  for 
the  erection  of  an  Astronomical  Observatory,  which  is 
to  be  known  as  "Daniel  Scholl  Observatory,"  in  memory 
of  the  deceased  father  of  the  donor.  The  Reformed 
Church  has  in  many  ways  testified  to  its  interest  in  the 
prosperity  of  the  college,  and  during  the  Tercentenary 
year  (1863)  no  less  than  thirty  thousand  dollars  were 
collected  for  its  endowment. 

This  institution  is  a  college  of  the  old  classical  type, 
and  has  no  irregular  or  mixed  Classes.  The  number  of 
students  is,  therefore,  probably,  somewhat  smaller  than 
it  would  otherwise  be ;  but  perhaps  for  this  very  reason 
it  has  been  more  easy  to  maintain  a  high  educational 
standard.  Its  published  course  of  studies,  it  is  believed, 
will  compare  favorably  with  those  of  similar  institutions 
in  other  parts  of  the  country.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  G. 
Apple  is  President.1 

Heidelberg  College,  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  was  founded  in 
1850,  in  close  connection  with  the  Western  Theological 
Seminary.  It  is  said  that  a  large  majority  of  the  minis- 
ters of  the  Ohio  Synod  were  educated  in  this  institution. 
It  provides  several  complete  courses  of  instruction,  and 

•The  successive  Presidents  have  been  Dr.  E.  V.  Gerhart,  from  1854  to 
1866;  Dr.  J.  W.  Nevin,  from  1866  to  1876;  and  since  the  latter  date  Dr. 
Tnomas  G.  Apple. 


LITERARY    INSTITUTIONS.  3O/ 

also  furnishes  superior  advantages  for  the  education  of 
young  women.  Though,  like  our  other  institutions,  this 
college  struggled  for  years  with  financial  difficulties,  it 
has  now  in  great  measure  surmounted  them,  and  the 
outlook  is  hopeful  and  encouraging.  A  new  college 
building  costing  about  $50,000  has  recently  been  erected. 
The  first  President  was  Dr.  E.  V.  Gerhart,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Drs.  M.  Kieffer  and  G.  W.  Aughinbaugh. 
This  office  is  now  held  by  the  Rev.  George  W.  Williard, 
D.  D.  The  financial  interests  of  the  institution  have 
been  greatly  promoted  by  its  agent,  Elder  Henry 
Leonard,  familiarly  known  as  "  The  Fisherman,"  who 
has  for  many  years  labored  faithfully  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  cause  of  higher  education  in  the  Reformed 
Church. 

Catawba  College  was  founded  at  Newton,  North  Car- 
olina, in  1851,  by  ministers  and  members  of  the  Re- 
formed Church.  Having  lost  a  large  part  of  its  resour- 
ces during  the  war,  this  institution  now  claims  only 
the  humbler  title  of  "Catawba  High  and  Normal 
School,"  and  in  its  chosen  sphere  is  doing  excellent 
work.  We  are,  however,  more  familiar  with  its  earlier 
name,  and  prefer  to  give  it  here.  "  An  effort  has  been 
made  to  endow  the  institution  so  as  to  make  it  a  full 
college."  The  President  is  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Clapp,  D.  D 

Ursinus  College,  at  Freeland  (or  Collegeville),  Mont- 
gomery county,  Pa.,  was  founded  in  1869,  under  the 
Presidency  of  the  Rev.  J.  H.  A.  Bomberger,  D.  D. 
During  its  brief  history  this  institution  has  been  instru- 


308  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

mental  in  affording  the  advantages  of  liberal  culture 
to  a  large  number  of  young  men,  and  recently  ar- 
rangements have  been  made  by  which  young  women 
are  admitted  to  similar  educational  privileges.  It  has 
been  recognized  and  commended  by  the  General  Synod 
and  the  Synod  of  the  United  States.  Connected  with 
the  college  is  a  Theological  Department,  which  is  undei 
the  immediate  charge  of  three  professors.  Although 
under  no  formal  synodical  control,  this  institution 
fully  acknowledges  its  amenability  to  the  jurisdiction 
of  the  Reformed  Church. 

Our  space  is  necessarily  so  limited  that  we  can 
hardly  do  more  than  mention  a  number  of  additional 
educational  institutions  which  are  engaged  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Church: 

Mercersburg  College  had  its  origin  in  a  desire  to 
utilize  the  buildings  left  vacant  by  the  removal  of 
Marshall  College  from  Mercersburg  to  Lancaster,  and 
also  to  meet  the  educational  wants  of  the  section  of 
the  Church  in  which  these  buildings  are  located.  It 
has  performed  a  good  work,  and  at  present  is  carried 
forward  as  an  Academy  or  Collegiate  Institute,  but 
has  an  important  mission  to  perform  in  this  character. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  G.  W.  Aughinbaugh  is  President. 

Palatinate  College,  at  Meyerstown,  Pa.,  of  which  the 
Rev.  W.  C.  Schaeffer,  A.  M.,  is  President,  also  had  its 
origin  in  a  desire  to  provide  for  the  education  of 
the  young,  under  the  care  and  guardianship  of  the 
Church.  Like  the  institution  at  Mercersburg,  it  aims 


LITERARY    INSTITUTIONS.  309 

to  provide  an  education  for  those  who  do  not  intend 
to  pursue  a  full  college  course,  and  also  to  prepare 
students  for  one  of  the  classes  in  college.  These  insti- 
tutions are  under  the  care  of  the  Church,  and  are 
worthy  of  support. 

"  Calvin  College"  at  Cleveland,  O.,  and  the  Colle- 
giate Department  of  the  "Mission  House"  at  Sheboy- 
gan,  Wis.,  are  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  volume  in 
connection  with  the  German  work  in  the  West.  The 
amount  of  good  which  they  have  accomplished  is 
incalculable.  At  Dakota,  111.,  the  "  College  of  North- 
ern Illinois  "  has  been  founded,  and  in  Kansas  "  Wichita 
University  "  will  soon  be  ready  to  receive  students.  The 
two  latter  institutions  will,  no  doubt,  perform  a  work  of 
great  importance.  Thoroughly  educated  ministers  are 
especially  necessary  on  the  frontiers,  where  the  founda- 
tions of  the  Church  ought  to  be  broadly  and  firmly  laid. 

4 

As  we  can  hardly  expect  the  young  men  of  the 
remote  West  to  come  to  our  Eastern  institutions,  it 
becomes  our  duty  to  provide  for  their  education  in 
the  region  in  which  they  are  expected  to  labor.  This 
is  the  special  work  which  these  new  institutions  have 
undertaken,  and  we  have  no  doubt  it  will  be  thor- 
oughly performed. 

Other  schools  which  enjoy  the  support  and  patron- 
age of  the  Reformed  Church  are  Clarion  Collegiate 
Institute,  Rimersburg,  Pa. ;  Juniata  Collegiate  Institute, 
Martinsburg,  Pa.;  and  International  Academy,  Portland, 


3IO  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Oregon.  Parents  who  send  their  children  to  such 
schools  may  feel  assured  that  they  will  receive  a  faithful 
Christian  training. 

Female  education,  we  regret  to  say,  has  not,  in  the 
Reformed  Church,  received  the  attention  which  it 
demands.  An  intelligent  mother  is  the  best  pledge  for 
the  intelligence  of  her  family;  and  if  our  Church  is  to 
exert  the  social  influence  which  is  her  due,  we  must 
provide  for  the  education  of  the  young  women  who  will 
be  the  mothers  of  future  generations.  Three  institutions 
are  specially  devoted  to  this  important  work:.  Allen- 
town  Female  College  and  Greensburg  Female  Collegiate 
Institute,  both  in  Pennsylvania,  and  Claremont  Female 
College,  at  Hickory,  North  Carolina.  We  need  more 
such  schools,  and  those  which  we  have  should  be  better 
patronized.  It  is  utter  folly  to  send  children  to  be  edu- 
cated at  distant  and  irresponsible  institutions,  because  die 
eye  of  the  parent  happens  to  have  been  caught  by  a  spe- 
cious advertisement;  when  an  education  more  thorough 
and  better  suited  to  their  subsequent  surroundings  could 
be  obtained  for  them  under  the  fostering  care  of  their 
own  Church.  We  have  personally  known  parents  who 
have  thus  placed  their  children  under  the  care  of 
strangers,  only  to  discover,  when  it  was  too  late,  that 
their  dear  ones  had  not  only  been  alienated  from  their 
affections,  but  had  imbibed  the  infidel  principles  which 
are  now  so  prevalent  in  many  parts  of  our  country,  and 
which  to  the  faith  of  a  Christian  are  worse  than  death. 

We  do  not  believe  that  the  number  of  our  literary  in- 


LITERARY    INSTITUTIONS.  311 

stitutions  should  be  decreased,  in  order  to  add  strength 
to  the  few  that  remain.  We  live  in  a  great  country,  and 
there  is  plenty  of  room  for  all  worthy  educational  enter- 
prises. At  the  same  time  it  will  be  cheerfully  conceded 
that  new  educational  institutions  should  be  founded  only 
after  mature  consideration  and  where  the  necessities  of 
the  Church  imperatively  demand  them. 

Though  it  is  pleasant  to  contemplate  the  advancement 
of  our  educational  interests  during  the  past  half-century, 
it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  the  Reformed  Church 
was  late  in  the  field,  and  has  been  compelled  to  struggle 
with  peculiar  difficulties.  The  colleges  of  certain  other 
denominations  have,  especially  of  late  years,  received 
large  endowments,  and  have  consequently  been  able  to 
provide  the  means  for  advanced  study  in  special  depart- 
ments, which  are  very  expensive,  and  are  consequently 
beyond  our  reach.  In  the  regular  course  of  scholastic 
training,  which  is  essential  to  a  thorough  preparation  for 
the  ministry,  or  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  life,  we  do  not 
believe  that  any  one  of  the  literary  institutions  of  our 
country  is  in  advance  of  those  which  are  under  the 
special  care  of  the  Reformed  Church  ;  but  the  advan- 
tages presented  by  wealthier  institutions  to  students  in 
special  courses  are  not  without  attractions,  and  our  in- 
stitutions must  struggle  hard  to  hold  their  own.  An 
endowment  which  would  have  been  regarded  as  very 
respectable  fifty  years  ago  is  now  considered  small.  As 
we  are  naturally  desirous  of  affording  to  the  young  men 
and  women  of  the  Reformed  Church  the  best  advantages 


312  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

which  the  country  can  afford,  it  is  necessary  that  the 
endowments  of  our  literary  institutions  should  be  in- 
creased until  they  compare  favorably  with  those  of  the 
schools  of  other  influential  denominations.  Our 
deficiency  in  this  respect  has  thus  far  been  in  a  great 
degree  compensated  by  the  ability  and  self-sacrificing 
devotion  of  the  men  who  have  been  engaged  in  the  work 
of  education ;  but  renewed  efforts  are  necessary  to  enable 
us  to  maintain  the  position  which  is  our  due.  There  is, 
in  fact,  no  interest  in  the  Reformed  Church  which  more 
loudly  appeals  to  the  benevolence  of  its  members  than 
the  cause  of  education.  We  should  not  only  seek  to 
elevate  our  literary  institutions  beyond  the  reach  of 
pressing  want.  It  is  in  our  power  to  make  them  the 
glory  of  our  Church  and  of  the  nation.  Let  us  not  rest 
satisfied  until  this  work  is  thoroughly  accomplished. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

The   Widows'  Fttnd — Home  Missions — The  German   Church   in 
the  West — Foreign  Missions — Beneficiary  Education. 

The  revival  of  ancient  charities  occupied  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Church  simultaneously  with  the  establish- 
ment of  its  theological  and  literary  institutions.  Some 
of  these  had  been  for  years  in  a  languishing  condi- 
tion, but  earnest  men  now  began  to  direct  new  streams 
of  life  into  the  ancient  channels. 

THE   WIDOWS'  FUND. 

The  Fund  for  the  Relief  of  the  Widows  of  Minis- 
ters is  the  oldest  of  the  charitable  institutions  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States.  It  was  founded 
as  early  as  1755  by  the  Coetus  of  Pennsylvania,  which 
obtained  permission  from  the  Synods  of  Holland  to 
apply  to  this  laudable  purpose  certain  unexpended 
remainders  of  the  annual  stipends.  There  are  no  con- 
secutive records  of  the  manner  in  which  the  income 
of  the  Fund  was  applied  in  those  early  days,  but  no 
doubt  it  brought  relief  to  the  stricken  household  of 
more  than  one  minister  who  had  fallen  at  his  post. 
The  fund  thus  created  gradually  increased  in  value, 
and  soon  after  the  separation  from  Holland,  was  made 
the  special  charge  of  the  "Society  of  Guardians  for 

(3'3) 


3  M  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

the  Relief  of  Ministers  and  their  Widows,"  which  was 
incorporated  in  1810  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  Penn- 
sylvania. The  charter  appears  to  have  been  cumbrous 
and  defective,  and  the  work  of  the  society  was  circum- 
scribed. In  1832,  when  the  Synod  appointed  Dr.  B. 
C.  Wolff  and  others  a  committee  to  inquire  into  the 
condition  of  the  society,  it  was  found  that  there  were 
but  three  surviving  members,  and  that  but  two  widows 
were  receiving  its  benefits.  The  surviving  members 
were  the  Rev.  Caspar  Wack,  William  Hendel,  D.  D., 
and  Samuel  Helffenstein,  D.  D.  These  aged  ministers 
held  a  conference  with  the  synodical  committee  at 
Falkner  Swamp,  in  1833,  and  cheerfully  agreed  to 
transfer  the  funds  under  their  control  to  Synod,  under 
the  sole  condition  that  the  widows  who  were  then 
receiving  annuities  should  not  be  deprived  of  them. 
The  Synod  expressed  a  desire  that  the  society  should 
be  perpetuated,  and  by  its  direction  certain  changes 
were  made  in  the  charter,  which  rendered  its  benefits 
applicable  to  destitute  ministers  and  the  widows  of 
ministers  throughout  the  entire  Church,  instead  of 
confining  them  to  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  as  had  been 
hitherto  the  case.  Since  that  time  the  society  has  con- 
tinued to  exist,  though  it  has  never  been  supported  as  it 
deserves.  In  1849  the  initiation  fee  was  changed  from 
£2,  Penna.  currency,  to  $5,  and  the  annual  dues  fixed 
at  $3.  The  payment  of  $60,  in  addition  to  the  initiation 
fee,  constitutes  a  minister  a  life  member.  In  special 
cases  the  widows  of  ministers  who  were  not  members 


HOME    MISSIONS.  315 

of  the  society  may  be  made  partakers  of  its  benefits. 
Though  the  annuities  are  necessarily  small,  they  have  in 
many  instances  prevented  great  suffering,  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  by  the  liberality  of  the  church  the  benevolent 
operations  of  the  society  may  soon  be  greatly  extended. 

HOME    MISSIONS. 

The  Reformed  Church  has  always  been,  in  a  peculiar 
sense,  the  Church  of  Missions.  It  is  for  this  reason  that 
the  soil  of  almost  every  country  of  Europe  was  once 
crimsoned  by  the  blood  of  her  martyrs,  and  that  when 
her  children  crossed  the  ocean  they  were  so  speedily  fol- 
lowed by  faithful  ministers  of  the  Gospel.  As  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  German  Reformed  Church  of  this  country 
had  been  in  great  measure  due  to  the  prevalence  of  the 
spirit  of  missions  in  the  Fatherland,  it  might,  perhaps, 
have  been  expected  that  the  American  Church  should, 
in  turn,  engage  in  this  great  work  with  peculiar  enthu- 
siasm. In  fact,  however,  the  Church  awoke  but  slowly 
to  a  sense  of  its  duty.  In  a  weak,  spasmodic  way,  the 
Synod  attempted  to  respond  to  the  earnest  appeals  of  the 
infant  churches  on  the  frontiers,  and  several  ministers 
were  at  an  early  date  commissioned  to  visit  the  vacant 
congregations  of  the  South  and  West,  receiving  for  their 
services  a  small  stipend  from  the  treasury  of  the  Synod. 
Until  1826  the  Synod  annually  appointed  a  committee 
on  Missions.  In  the  latter  year  this  committee,  through 
its  secretary  the  Rev.  James  R.  Reily,  presented  a 
lengthy  report,  including  a  diary  written  by  the  Rev. 


316  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

John  Rudy,  who  had  been  sent  by  the  committee  to 
visit  the  vacant  churches  of  South  Carolina.  From  this 
report  it  appeared  that  there  were  not  less  than  eighty- 
four  vacant  churches  within  the  bounds  of  the  Synod. 
These  are  enumerated  in  the  following  condensed 
extract  from  the  report: 

"  Pennsylvania :  5  vacant  congregations  in  Butler,  Warren,  and  Ve- 
nango  counties.  Also  others,  concerning  which  the  committee  can  give 
no  certain  information. 

"  Ohio:  4  vacant  congregations  in  Butler  county,  on  the  Miami  river; 
7  formerly  served  bv  Rev.  Mr.  Dechant. 

"  Virginia :  7  vacant  congregations  in  Pendleton  county ;  5  in  Bote- 
tourt  county ;  2  in  Loudon  county ;  and  others  widely  scattered. 

"North  Carolina:  4  vacant  congregations  in  Ashe  county;  4  in 
Rowan  county ;  6  in  Lincoln  county.  * 

"South  Carolina:  8  vacant  congregations  in  Newberry,  Lexington, 
and  Richland  districts. 

"  Tennessee  :  12  vacant  congregations  on  the  French  Broad  river. 

"  Kentucky  :  5  vacant  congregations  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State. 

"  Indiana  :  5  vacant  congregations  in  Washington  and  Harrison  coun- 
ties. 

"  Illinois  :  5  vacant  congregations  in  Union  county. 

"  Missouri :  5  vacant  congregations  in  Capberedo1  county ;  formerly 
served  by  Mr.  Weyberg." 

The  committee  concluded  its  report  by  suggesting 
the  appropriation  of  the  sum  of  $200  from  the  syn- 
odical  treasury  for  the  work  of  missions  during  the 
current  year.  The  interest  awakened  by  the  discus- 
sion of  the  subject  led,  however,  to  more  'decisive 
action,  and  by  the  direction  of  Synod,  the  Board  of 

1  Probably  Cape  Girardeau  county. 


HOME    MISSIONS.  317 

Domestic  Missions  was  organized  in  Frederick  City, 
Maryland,  on  the  28th  of  September,  I826.1  Popular 
prejudice  was,  however,  so  strongly  arrayed  against  all 
enterprises  of  general  benevolence,  that  the  Synod 
was  careful  to  explain  that  participation  in  this  move- 
ment was  to  be  wholly  voluntary.  It  was  to  be  known 
as  a  "  Missionary  Society,"  and  to  be  supported  by 
the  contributions  of  local  auxiliary  societies,  established 
at  such  places  as  might  be  deemed  advisable.  This 
society  was  to  have  general  direction  of  the  work  of 
missions,  and  to  enjoy  the  privilege  of  recommending 
to  Synod  young  men  whom  it  might  deem  qualified 
for  missionary  work,  for  examination,  licensure,  and 
ordination.  The  plan  thus  recommended  was  not  prac- 
tically carried  out,  and  the  association  instituted  under 
the  auspices  of  Synod  was  known  as  the  "Board  of 
Missions." 

For  some  years  the  "  Board "  received  but  little  sym- 
pathy and  support  from  the  churches,  and  frequently 
it  neglected  to  prepare  an  annual  report.  Its  pro- 
ceedings were,  however,  published  in  the  "  Magazine," 
a  publication  which  was  founded  for  the  special  pur- 
pose of  awakening  an  interest  in  the  cause  of  Mis- 
sions. In  1835  the  "Board"  reported  that,  during  the 
past  year,  it  had  received  benevolent  contributions  to 
the  amount  of  $97.20^,  and  had  expended  $54.31, 
leaving  a  balance  of  $42.89^.  It  would,  however,  be 
a  mistake  to  suppose  that  this  small  sum  represented 

1  See  Minutes  of  Synod,  1827,  p.  41. 


3  [8  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

the  whole  amount  of  the  annual  contributions  of  the 
Church  for  the  cause  of  Missions.  Pastors  or  mem- 
bers of  indigent  Western  churches  could  without  diffi- 
culty collect  far  more  on  a  single  visit  to  their  friends 
in  the  East,  than  was  contributed  by  the  whole  Church 
to  the  enterprises  of  the  Board  of  Missions.  In  this 
way  many  thousands  of  dollars  were  gathered  for 
church  extension  of  which  no  public  record  has  been 
preserved.  Of  course,  this  state  of  affairs  was  favor- 
able to  the  schemes  of  plausible  impostors,  who  some- 
times succeeded  in  collecting  large  sums  of  money 
before  their  wickedness  could  be  exposed.  Gradually 
it  dawned  upon  the  consciousness  of  the  churches 
that  it  would  be  better  to  direct  the  stream  of  their 
contributions  into  a  regular  channel,  and  the  receipts 
of  the  Board  of  Missions  were  consequently  increased. 
In  1841  the  contributions  amounted  to  $153.94;  a 
year  later  to  $650;  in  1845  the  amount  of  offerings 
was  $1,577.62.  In  the  latter  year  the  Board  of  the 
Synod  of  Ohio  was  organized,  but  for  some  years  its 
existence  was  hardly  more  than  nominal.  Ten  years 
later  (1855)  the  offerings  of  the  whole  Church,  East 
and  West,  amounted  to  $3,771.11.  From  this  time, 
however,  the  increase  of  offerings  was  rapid,  and  the 
work  of  the  Boards  became  more  extensive.  The 
churches  began  to  take  a  more  profound  interest  in 
the  subject,  and  instances  of  self-sacrificing  devotion 
became  numerous.  Some  of  the  ablest  men  in  the 
Church  devoted  themselves  to  the  work,  and  many  a 


HOME    MISSIONS.  3IQ 

widow's  mite  was  voluntarily  given  to  increase  its 
treasury. 

In  1873  the  Eastern  Synod  and  the  Synods  of  Pitts- 
burgh and  the  Potomac  formed  what  has  since  been 
known  as  the  "  Tri-synodic  Union."  These  three  Syn- 
ods elect  a  "Superintendent  of  Missions,"  who  as  the 
executive  officer  of  the  Board  has  the  general  super- 
vision of  all  its  missions.  In  unifying  the  work,  and  in 
giving  it  a  new  impulse,  the  labors  of  the  successive 
Superintendents  have  proved  successful.  The  "Joint 
Board"  elects  from  its  number  four  persons,  who,  with 
the  Superintendent  of  Missions,  form  the  Executive 
Council.  Among  the  results  of  the  labors  of  the 
"  Tri-synodic  Union,"  may  be  mentioned  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Classes  of  California  and  Oregon,  and  the 
recent  establishment  of  a  promising  mission  among  the 
Swiss  colonists  at  Valparaiso,  in  South  America. 

The  four  Synods  which  are  not  embraced  in  this 
"  Union "  are  equally  interested  in  the  work  of  Mis- 
sions, and  through  their  several  Boards  are  laboring 
earnestly  for  its  advancement.  A  summary  of  the 
labors  of  all  the  Boards  is  presented  triennially  to  the 
General  Synod. 

The  "  Ursinus   Union"  is  an  association  for  religious 

o 

and  benevolent  purposes,  including  in  its  membership 
many  of  the  patrons  and  friends  of  Ursinus  College. 
Besides  the  support  which  it  has  afforded  to  the  lat- 
ter institution,  it  has  contributed  largely  to  Home 
Missions  and  other  objects  of  general  benevolence. 


32O  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

Throughout  the  entire  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States  the  cause  of  Home  Missions  is  annually 
receiving  greater  attention.  From  the  Report  of  the 
Board  of  Home  Missions  to  the  General  Synod  in  Balti- 
more, in  May  1884,  we  learn  that  "there  are  now  one 
hundred  and  forty-two  missions  under  the  care  of  the 
different  district  boards,  and  that  the  amount  raised  and 
expended  for  their  support  during  the  past  three  years  is 
$77,989.70.  This  is  forty-eight  missions  and  $22,951.61 
more  than  were  reported  to  the  General  Synod  which 
met  at  Tiffin,  Ohio,  in  May  1881."  Though  the  amount 
of  contributions  is  greatly  exceeded  by  that  of  several 
other  denominations,  which  have  a  larger  membership, 
"  it  will  be  seen,"  in  the  language  of  the  Report,  "  that 
considerable  advance  has  been  made  in  the  great  work 
of  Missions,  for  which  there  is  reason  of  thankfulness  to 
the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

The  Harbor  Mission,  at  New  York,  which  was  inaug- 
urated by  the  General  Synod  in  1866,  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  of  the  special  enterprises  of  the  work  of 
Home  Missions.  It  has  accomplished  much  good  in 
protecting  worthy  immigrants  from  the  impositions  to 
which  they  are  exposed,  and  in  aiding  them  to  find 
homes  in  Christian  communities.  It  certainly  deserves 
more -attention  than  it  has  hitherto  received. 

There  is  one  department  of  the  great  work  of  Missions 
which  in  its  importance  has  transcended  all  others,  and 
has  proved  peculiarly  fruitful.  Its  success  has  indeed 
been  so  wonderful,  when  we  consider  the  grandeur  of 


THE   GERMAN    CHURCH    IN    THE   WEST.  321 

the  results  in  comparison  with  the  meagreness  of  the 
means  employed  for  their  attainment,  that  we  do  not 
hesitate  to  say  that  it  deserves  to  occupy  one  of  the 
brightest  pages  in  the  history  of  the  Reformed  Church 
For  the  facts  contained  in  the  following  sketch  we  are 
indebted  to  a  Western  pastor  who  was  himself  one  of 
the  most  eminent  laborers  in  this  interesting  field : 

THE    GERMAN    CHURCH    IN    THE   WEST. 

The  origin  and  rise  of  the  German  Western  Church 
must  under  Divine  Providence,  be  chiefly  attributed  to 
the  Eastern  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  as  the  solid  basis  ; 
to  the  Western  Church,  as  the  missionary  and  progres- 
sive agent ;  and  to  the  German  element,  as  the  instru- 
ment of  patient  and  and  self-denying  work.  The  three 
men  who  were  chiefly  instrumental  in  this  work  all  came 
from  Pennsylvania.  Dr.  M.  Stern,  who  was  most  active 
in  missionary  labor,  had  spent  several  years  in  studying 
and  teaching  in  Mercersburg,  and  had  served  congrega- 
tions in  the  Classis  of  East  Pennsylvania  before  he  re- 
moved to  Ohio.  Dr.  H.  A.  Muehlmeier,  the  founder  of 
the  "Missionshaus"  in  Wisconsin,  studied  Theology  in 
Mercersburg.  Dr.  H.  J.  Ruetenik,  the  originator  of  the 
German  Publishing  House,  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  entered 
the  ranks  of  the  ministry  as  a  member  of  East  Pennsyl- 
vania Classis.  In  1853  these  three  men  first  met  at  a 
meeting  of  Tiffin  Classis,  Ohio;  and  from  this  meeting 
are  to  be  dated  the  beginnings  of  the  great  work  which, 
in  the  course  of  thirty  years,  has  resulted  in  the  formation 


322 


HISTORIC    MANUAL. 


of  three  German  Synods,  with  forty  thousand  members 
and  all  the  institutions  necessary  to  effective  Church- 
work. 


MAX    STERN. 


Soon  after  this  meeting  Dr.  Stern  removed  to  Craw- 
ford county,  the  very  heart  of  the  German  population  of 
Ohio.  Here  he  found  the  religious  elements  with  which 
the  German  Church  of  the  West  has  had  to  deal  almost 
everywhere.  There  were  "  New-Measure  Men,"  zealous 
but  strongly  tincured  with  Methodism ;  Separatists,  who 
had  brought  their  Pietism  and  Mysticism  from  th,e 
secluded  valleys  of  Germany ;  and  liberal  Unionists, 
who  thus  far  had  been  contented  members  of  the  Luth- 


THE    GERMAN    CHURCH    IN   THE    WEST.  323 

eran  Church,  but  were  being  driven  out  of  it  by  its  ris- 
ing Lutheran  consciousness.  Dr.  Stern  preached  Christ 
crucified,  the  central  life  of  faith;  he  inculcated  the 
authority  and  ordinances  of  the  visible  Church  ;  he  cate- 
chised the  young  and  educated  them  to  become  active 
Church-members.  This  course  met  the  spiritual  wants 
of  large  numbers  of  people,  and  he  succeeded  in  building 
up  four  flourishing  charges  in  this  county  alone.  He 
was  also  constantly  at  work  encouraging  missionary 
labor  through  all  the  Western  region. 

Dr.  Muehlmeier  went  to  Sheboygan,  Wisconsin. 
Having  here,  as  a  missionary,  established  a  sound 
and  prosperous  church,  he  accepted  a  call  from  a 
rural  congregation  in  the  vicinity,  consisting  of  pious 
people  from  Lippe,  in  Germany.  These  people  had 
emigrated  thither  in  a  body,  bound  together  by  their 
love  for  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  and  by  their  strong 
and  sweet  Christian  experiences  during  a  time  of  gen- 
uine revival  at  their  old  home.  Finding  less  necessity 
for  home  work  in  his  charge  than  most  other  minis- 
ters, he  turned  his  attention  to  the  great  missionary 
work  around  him.  Wisconsin  was  then  rapidly  filling 
up  with  German  immigrants.  They  came  in  great 
numbers,  and  found  work,  bread,  and  all  the  good 
things  of  this  life,  but  neither  churches  nor  ministers. 
To  supply  this  want,  Dr.  Muehlmeier  looked  in  vain 
to  the  churches  in  Ohio  and  in  Pennsylvania,  for 
neither  of  them  had  German  ministers  to  spare.  Min- 
isters had,  therefore,  to  be  prepared  for  the  work.  Thus 


324  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

the  "  Missionshaus  "  originated,  where  young  men  were 
instructed  by  Dr.  Muehlmeier  and  one  or  two  neigh- 
boring ministers,  who  received  no  salaries  for  their 
services.  They  fed  their  pupils  at  their  own  tables, 
and  clothed  them  at  their  own  expense,  aided  by  the 
small  contributions  which  they  were  able  to  obtain  for 
this  purpose  from  Christian  friends.  Gradually  the 
number  of  friends  increased;  a  house  was  built;  teach- 
ers could  be  salaried,  so  as  to  devote  their  full  time 
to  this  work;  and,  what  was  worth  more  than  all,  a 
Christian  home  was  established,  whose  pure  air  and 
edifying  intercourse  built  up  its  inmates  in  all  things 
spiritual.  There  are  at  present  (1884)  more  than 
sixty  students  in  this  institution,  which  is  under  the 
superintendence  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Muehlmeier.  In  all 
Wisconsin  there  were  in  1854  but  three  German 
Reformed  ministers.  Now  this  state  alone  contains 
two  Classes,  with  forty  ministers,  and  two  more  Clas- 
ses have  been  organized  in  adjacent  States. 

Dr.  Ruetenik,  after  some  missionary  work  in  Toledo, 
Ohio,  was  called  to  a  professorship  in  Tiffin.  But  the 
great  wants  of  the  German  population  did  not  allow 
him  to  remain  satisfied  with  scientific  work.  To  help 
his  brethren  in  their  missionary  efforts  he  commenced, 
at  his  own  expense,  the  publication  of  the  German 
"  Evangelist,"  at  first  a  small  monthly  paper,  which, 
however,  gradually  grew  to  a  weekly  of  6,000  sub- 
scribers, to  which  was  added,  afterwards,  the  publica- 
tion of  a  Sunday-school  paper  now  numbering  20,000 


THE    GERMAN    CHURCH    IN    THE   WEST.  325 

subscribers,  a  monthly  for  adults,  books,  etc.  In  short, 
out  of  these  small  beginnings  a  Printing  House  has 
grown  whose  annual  sales  now  amount  to  $30,000, 
and  which  is  almost  free  of  debt.  In  order  to  give 
his  whole  time  to  the  German  work,  Dr.  Ruetenik,  in 
1860,  removed  to  Cleveland,  where  he  soon  afterwards 
organized  the  First  German  Reformed  congregation  of 
that  city.  Now  the  Reformed  Church  has  seven  con- 
gregations there,  numbering  together  two  thousand 
members. 

While  these  men  continued  in  their  work,  others, 
possibly  less  known  by  men,  but  not  less  in  heaven, 
labored  in  other  places,  and  after  many  vicissitudes 
succeeded  in  planting  churches.1  Missouri,  Nebraska, 
Minnesota,  and  Iowa,  are  at  present  the  names  of  the 
frontier  Classes. 

At  first  the  German  work  was  pursued  in  connec- 
tion with  Synods  which  were  prevailingly  English. 
It  was,  however,  thought  better  to  have  distinctly  Ger- 
man Synods,  which  might  devote  all  their  attention  to 
this  work.  As  early  as  1856  a  number  of  German 
ministers  formed  a  "  Conference,"  which  met  annually 

JBy  mentioning  a  trio  of  representative  men,  the  writer,  of  course,  does 
not  mean  to  discriminate  between  them  and  their  earnest  and  eminent 
fellow-laborers.  Dr.  J.  H.  Klein,  for  instance,  has  from  the  beginning 
been  zealously  and  wisely  active  in  the  general  administration  of  the 
affairs  of  the  Church,  and  is  still  prominent  in  its  councils.  If  space  per- 
mitted, it  would  be  a  fascinating  task  to  trace  the  record  of  the  self 
denying  toil  of  the  eminent  men  upon  whom  the  mantle  of  the  fathers  has 
fallen. 


320  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

for  mutual  counsel  and  encouragement.  As  the  work 
of  Missions  continued  to  prosper,  the  want  of  a  Syn- 
odical  organization  was  felt  more  and  more.  The 
Synod  of  Ohio  was  frequently  importuned  to  grant  its 
sanction  to  the  movement,  and  in  1866  a  resolution 
was  passed  by  which  the  organization  of  a  German 
Synod  was  fully  authorized.  A  number  of  Classes, 
prevailingly  German,  in  northwestern  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  and  Wisconsin,  were  formed  into  the  Synod 
of  the  Northwest,  but  this  Synod  did  not  include  the 
German  elements  of  eastern  and  southern  Ohio.  These 
retained  their  connection  with  the  Ohio  Synod,  because 
the  places  where  the  Northwestern  Synod  met  appeared 
to  be  too  far  distant.  Only  recently,  in  1882,  when 
permission  was  granted  by  the  General  Synod,  the 
two  German  Classes,  Cincinnati  and  St.  John's,  united 
with  two  Classes  of  the  Synod  of  the  Northwest, 
Heidelberg  (Central  Ohio),  and  Erie,  in  the  formation 
of  the  Central  Synod.  The  latter  is  a  German  body 
of  fifteen  thousand  members.  The  Northwestern  Synod 
numbers  fourteen  thousand,  and  the  German  Synod  of 
the  East,  ten  thousand. 

Besides  the  institutions  above  mentioned,  these  Ger- 
man Churches  sustain  Calvin  College,  in  Cleveland,  and 
an  Orphan  Asylum  in  Fort  Wayne.  There  are  also  two 
Societies  for  mutual  aid  in  cases  of  death,  with  about 
1,500  members.  A  missionary  among  the  Indians  in 
Wisconsin  is  chiefly  sustained  by  their  contributions. 
The  Home  Missionarv  Board  of  the  North  Western  and 


FOREIGN   MISSIONS.  327 

Central  Synods  receives  about  $3,000  annually,  in  con- 
tributions; and  the  Board  of  Church  Extension  about 
$500.  The  gifts  to  the  "  Missionshaus"  and  Calvin 
Institute  amount  annually  to  about  $5,000.  Including 
contributions  to  the  Orphan  Asylum  and  Indian  Mis- 
sions, the  German  Reformed  Churches  of  the  North- 
west average  $12,000  in  annual  contributions  for  Chris- 
tian Benevolence. 

FOREIGN    MISSIONS. 

In  the  work  of  Foreign  Missions,  the  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States  has  accomplished  less  than 
might  have  been  justly  expected.  A  partial  explanation 
of  this  humiliating  fact  may  be  found  in  the  extraordi- 
nary extent  of  its  Home  Missionary  field.  The  immi- 
gration from  foreign  lands  was  so  enormous  that  the 
resources  of  the  Church  were  utterly  insufficient  to  pro- 
vide for  its  most  pressing  spiritual  necessities.  With 
this  work  constantly  at  hand,  it  is  perhaps  not  surprising 
that  the  Church  should  not  have  felt  itself  so  strongly 
drawn  to  labor  among  the  heathen  as  it  might  have  been 
under  different  domestic  conditions.  It  is  however 
pleasant  to  know  that  of  late  years  the  interest  taken  in 
Foreign  Missions  has  become  far  more  general,  and  that 
the  Church  is  making  earnest  efforts  to  retrieve  the 
past. 

The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  was  organized  at  the 
Synod  held  in  Lancaster,  Pa,,  in  1838.  During  the  first 
year  the  amount  of  contributions  was  $811.13^.  In 


3 28  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

1842  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Schneider,  a  missionary  of  the 
American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  who  had  been 
since  1834  located  at  Broosa,  Asia  Minor,  connected 
himself  with  the  Reformed  Church,  of  which  he  had 
been  a  member  in  his  early  youth.  This  was  done  with 
the  approval  of  the  American  Board,  for  the  special  pur- 
pose of  promoting  the  interests  of  the  cause  of  Missions 
in  the  Reformed  Church.  In  this  respect  the  anticipa- 
tions of  the  friends  of  the  cause  were  not  disappointed. 
For  many  years  Dr.  Schneider  was  mainly  supported  by 
the  contributions  of  the  Reformed  Church,  while  the 
Missions  which  he  served  remained  under  the  care  of 
the  American  Board.1  In  1 849  he  removed  from  Broosa 
to  Aintab,  Syria,  where  his  labors  were  greatly  blessed. 
Two  large  congregations  were  established,  and  in  1862 
sixteen  native  ministers  had  been  raised  up  in  Aintab 
alone. 

The  German  Reformed  Church,  in  1865,  withdrew  its 
contributions  from  the  American  Board.  For  several 
years,  the  subject  of  Foreign  Missions,  on  this  account, 
received  less  attention ;  but  many  of  the  churches  con- 
tributed to  the  support  of  the  missionaries  of  the  German 
Evangelical  Missionary  Society  at  Bisrampore,  India. 
The  most  prominent  of  these  missionaries  is  the  Rev. 
Oscar  Lohr,  until  recently  a  member  of  the  Classis  of 
New  York. 

*It  is  pleasant  to  note  that,  in  1845,  the  Schwenkfelders,  a  small  relig- 
ious denomination  in  Montgomery  county,  Pa.,  contributed  $273  to  the 
Reformed  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  for  the  support  of  the  Mission  at 
Broosa. 


BENEFICIARY    EDUCATION.  329 

In  1878  the  Board  selected  Japan  as  a  proper  place  for 
missionary  labor,  and  the  following  year  the  work  was 
.  formally  begun.  The  following  are  the  names  of  mis- 
sionaries sent  out  with  the  date  of  their  arrival  at  Yoko- 
hama : 

Rev.  Ambrose  D.  Gring  and  wife,  June  6,  1879. 

Rev.  Jairus  P.  Moore  and  wife,  October  — ,  1883. 

Rev.  William  E.  Hoy, December  I,  1885. 

Miss  Lizzie  R.  Poorbaugh,  July  22,  1886. 

Miss  Mary  B.  Ault,  July  22,  1886. 

Rev.  David  B.  Schneder,  December  23,  1887. 

On  the  3  ist  of  January.  1888,  the  Board  elected  Miss 
Emma  F.  Poorbaugh  to  sail  for  Sendai,  Japan,  during 
the  summer  of  1888.  In  Tokio  we  have  two  congrega- 
tions, and  five  mission  stations  in  the  immediate  vicinity. 
In  Sendai  one  church,  a  Theological  School  and  a  Ladies' 
Seminary.  In  Yamagata  there  is  a  flourishing  boy's 
school,  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  J.  P.  Moore  and  wife. 
There  are  five  or  six  ordained  native  ministers,  eight  or 
ten  evangelists  or  catechists,  and  between  ten  and  eleven 
hundred  communicants. 

The  Mission  among  the  Winnebago  Indians,  to  which 
we  have  already  alluded,  has  also  been  aided  by  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

BENEFICIARY    EDUCATION. 

The  necessity  of  assisting  indigent  young  men  in  the 
work  of  preparing  for  the  Gospel  ministry  has  been 
recognized  in  all  ages  of  the  Church.  It  is,  in  fact,  abso- 


33O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

lately  essential  to  the  prosperity  of  the  Church,  and 
Beneficiary  Education  is  therefore  universally  regarded 
as  a  proper  object  of  Christian  beneficence.  .  Disguise  it. 
as  we  may,  the  ministry  is  ordinarily  a  life  of  hardship 
and  privation,  and  has  but  few  attractions  for  those  who 
regard  wealth  and  luxury  as  essential  to  their  happiness. 
In  this  country,  at  least,  the  sons  of  wealthy  parents  but 
rarely  devote  themselves  to  this  service;  and  though 
there  are  many  young  men  who  struggle  upwards 
through  unnumbered  difficulties,  without  receiving  finan- 
cial aid  from  the  Church,  until  they  finally  reach  the 
sacred  office,  there  are  others  who  without  such  assist- 
ance must  fail  to  attain  the  object  of  their  hopes.  With 
all  that  we  can  do,  the  number  of  candidates  for  the 
ministry  is  utterly  inadequate  to  the  necessities  of  the 
Church ;  and  self-preservation — if  no  higher  motive — 
should  induce  us  to  contribute  to  the  small  stipend 
which  is  annually  granted  to  our  beneficiaries. 

The  financial  aid  given  for  this  purpose  partakes  of 
the  nature  of  a  loan,  which  the  recipients  are  expected 
to  repay  as  soon  as  they  are  able.  Though  the  Church 
has  sometimes  been  disappointed  in  those  whom  she  has 
aided,  no  student  of  our  history  can  deny  that  many  of 
our  ablest  men  were  once  beneficiaries,  and  that  they 
have  by  their  labors  abundantly  repaid  the  cost  of  their 
education. 

Even  in  the  last  century  the  Synod  on  several  occa- 
sions aided  young  men  in  the  prosecution  of  their 
studies  by  appropriations  from  its  treasury,  and  this 


BENEFICIARY   EDUCATION.  33! 

excellent  practice  was  never  entirely  discontinued. 
After  the  establishment  of  the  Theological  Seminary, 
this  special  interest  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Board 
of  Visitors,  which  first  presented  a  detailed  report  of 
its  operations  as  a  Board  of  Beneficiary  Education  in 
the  year  1841.  For  many  years  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  S. 
R.  Fisher  served  as  Treasurer  of  the  Board  of  the 
Synod  of  the  United  States,  and  since  his  death  the 
same  position  has  been  worthily  occupied  by  his  son. 
The  several  Synods  and  Classes  vary  to  some  extent 
in  their  manner  of  conducting  this  work,  so  that  it  is 
somewhat  difficult  to  collect  its  exact  statistics;  but 
we  believe  it  to  be  more  actively  prosecuted  than  ever 
before,  and  the  excellence  of  its  results  is  evident 
throughout  the  Church. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

Publications — Parochial  and  Sunday-schools —  Orphan  Homes. 
THE  minutes  of  the  Coetus  held  in  Philadelphia  on 
the  27th  of  September,  1748,  were  published  in  accord- 
ance with  a  resolution  adopted  by  that  body.1  We 
regret  that  not  a  single  copy  of  this  pamphlet  is 
extant,  as  it  was,  in  all  probability,  the  earliest  official 
publication  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States.  It  is  not  probable  that  the  minutes  were  pub- 
lished in  subsequent  years,  and  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury appears  to  have  passed  before  the  labors  of  the 
press  were  again  called  into  requisition.  Hymn-books 
and  Catechisms  were  issued  by  individuals,  either  on 
their  personal  responsibility  or  by  special  agreement 
with  the  authorities  of  the  Church.  Several  original 
volumes  were  also  published  by  Reformed  ministers, 
but  these  do  not  properly  fall  within  the  scope  of  our 
present  inquiry.  The  late  Rev.  Dr.  S.  R.  Fisher  says, 
in  his  "History  of  Publications,"2  "I  have  not  been 
able  to  discover  any  evidence  that  the  German  Re- 
formed Church,  as  such,  was  engaged  in  any  direct 
publication  efforts  prior  to  the  year  1805.  It  was  in 
that  year  that  she  first  published  her  'Synodal  Ord- 

1  Mayer  MSS.,  p.  1 1. 

1  Reformed  Quarterly  Review,  January,  1885. 
(332) 


PUBLICATIONS. 


333 


nung,'  which  had  been  adopted  in  1793,  together  with 
some  addenda  which  had  been  made  in  1800.  The 
Minutes  of  Synod  began  to  be  published  in  German 
in  1817,  and  after  1825  in  German  and  English." 


mm ' 


SAMUEL  REED  FISHER. 


The  first  periodical  publication  was  the  "  Magazine  ol 
the  Reformed  Church,"  which  appeared  at  Carlisle,  Pa. 
in  1828,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Board  of  Missions 
For  three  years  it  was  published  monthly  in  pamphlet 
form.  Then  it  was  changed  into  a  small  quarto,  and 
called  "  The  Messenger  of  the  Reformed  Church,"  but 
still  published  monthly.  From  July  1834  to  July  1835 


334  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

it  appeared  semi-monthly.  At  the  latter  date  it  was 
changed  to  a  weekly,  and  its  publication  transferred  to 
Chambersburg,  Pa.  Until  this  time  the  editor  was  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Lewis  Mayer,  except  for  a  short  time  when  his 
place  was  supplied  by  the  Rev.  Daniel  Young. 

Since  the  removal  to  Chambersburg  "  The  Mes- 
senger "  has  been  the  principal  English  periodical  of  the 
eastern  portion  of  the  Reformed  Church.  Its  first 
editor  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  B.  S.  Schneck,  who  held  this 
position  until  1840  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  S.  R.  Fisher.  In  connection  with  many  other 
duties,  Dr.  Fisher,  who  was  an  indefatigable  worker, 
edited  "  The  Messenger  "  from  1840  to  1875,  assisted  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  B.  S.  Schneck  from  1848  to  1852;  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Miller,  from  1852  to  1857;  the  Rev.  Dr. 
B.  Bausman,  from  1858  to  1861 ;  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  G.  B. 
Russell,  1869  to  1871.  From  1875  to  1888  the  Rev. 
Dr.  P.  S.  Davis  was  editor-in-chief,  assisted  by  three 
synodical  editors. 

A  German  magazine,  entitled  "  Evangelische  Zeitung  " 
was  started,  in  1832,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein  of 
Philadelphia.  It  was  subsequently  edited  by  the  Rev. 
John  H.  Dreyer;  but  having  become  disorderly  in  its 
course  towards  Synod,  it  was  formally  disowned  by  that 
body  in  1833. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  D.  Zacharias  published  a  small  German 
paper  called  "  Der  Herold,"  in  Harrisburg,  in  1834;  but 
it  was  soon  discontinued  for  want  of  patronage.  In  1836 
the  Rev.  Dr.  B.  S.  Schneck  commenced  the  publica- 


PUBLICATIONS.  335 


tion  of"  Der  Christliche  Herold,"  and  in  1837,  tne 
Dr.  John  C.  Guldin  began  to  issue  "  Die  Evangelische 
Zeitschrift."  The  latter  two  papers  were,  in  1837,  trans- 
ferred to  the  Board  of  Missions  and  instead  of  them, 
"  Die  Christliche  Zeitschrift  "  began  to  appear.  The 
title  of  this  paper  was  subsequently  changed  to  "  Re- 
formirte  Kirchenzeitung,"  and  having  been  united  with 
the  "  Evangelist,"  it  is  now  published  at  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
under  the  editorship  of  the  Rev.  Louis  Praikschatis. 
Its  successive  editors,  while  it  was  connected  with  the 
Eastern  Board  of  Publication,  were  Rev.  Dr.  B.  S. 
Schneck,  Rev.  S.  Miller,  Dr.  N.  Gehr,  and  J.  G.  Wittman. 

"Der  Reformirte  Hausfreund"  has,  by  the  authority 
of  Synod,  been  published,  since  1866,  in  Reading,  Pa. 
Its  editor  is  the  Rev.  B.  Bausman,  D.  D. 

"  The  Reformed  Quarterly  "  is  a  continuation  of  the 
"  Mercersburg  Review,"  founded  in  1849.  It  is  devoted 
to  the  higher  departments  of  theological  inquiry,  but 
labors  also  in  the  interest  of  science  and  literature.  The 
editors  are  the  Rev.  Drs.  T.  G.  Apple  and  J.  M.  Titzel. 

"The  Guardian  "  was  founded  in  1850,  at  Lewisburg. 
Pa.,  by  Dr.  H.  Harbaugh,  as  a  magazine  for  young  men 
and  women.  Its  successive  editors  have  been  Henry 
Harbaugh,  B.  Bausman,  J.  H.  Dubbs  and  H.  M.  Kieffer. 

"  The  Christian  World,"  issued  at  Dayton,  Ohio,  by 
the  Reformed  Publishing  Company,  is  the  principal 
English  periodical  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
West.  It  is  a  continuation  of  "  The  Western  Mission- 
ary," which  was  founded  in  1848  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  J. 


336  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

H.  Good.  Rev.  E.  Herbruck  and  Rev.  M.  Loucks 
are  the  present  editors.  In  January,  1885,  the  Re- 
formed Publishing  Company  began  the  publication  of 
"The  Interior,"  a  literary  magazine  of  a  high  order. 

We  have  not  space  even  to  enumerate  the  titles  of 
all  the  periodical  publications  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
According  to  a  list  published  in  the  "Almanac  for  the 
Reformed  Church"  (1884),  they  are  twenty-one  in 
number;  fifteen  are  English  and  six  German.  Nearly 
one-half  of  these  are  devoted  to  the  cause  of  Sunday- 
schools. 

The  "Printing  Establishment"  at  Chambersburg,  Pa., 
is  now  known  by  tradition  only  to  many  of  the 
younger  members  of  the  Church.  It  was,  however, 
for  many  years  an  important  institution,  and  its  destruc- 
tion during  the  civil  war  was  a  loss  which  has  perhaps 
never  been  fully  appreciated.  Founded  in  1840  by 
the  Board  of  Missions,  it  had  struggled  along  for  sev- 
eral years  under  great  difficulties,  and  soon  became 
financially  involved.  In  1844  the  Board  of  Publica- 
tion was  organized  for  the  purpose  of  taking  special 
charge  of  this  interest,  but  the  condition  of  the  "  Estab- 
lishment" did  not  improve.  At  last,  in  1848,  the  Synod 
became  hopeless,  and  resolved  to  wind  up  the  whole 
affair,  and  it  seemed  as  though  the  labor  of  years 
would  be  utterly  lost.  In  the  very  darkest  hour  three 
ministers  came  forward  and  proposed  to  form  a  com- 
pany to  carry  on  the  Printing  Establishment  as  an 
individual  enterprise,  receiving  it  as  it  was,  with  all  its 


PUBLICATIONS.  337 

liabilities,  and  obligating  themselves  not  only  to  carry 
on  the  publications  of  the  Church,  but  to  pay  an  annual 
bonus  for  the  privilege.  The  ministers  thus  associated 
were  the  Rev.  Drs.  Moses  Kieffer,  B.  S.  Schneck,  and 
S.  R.  Fisher,  subsequently  known  as  the  firm  of  M. 
Kieffer  &  Co.  The  Synod  was  only  too  glad  to  accept 
these  propositions,  and  for  fifteen  years — until  January 
I,  1864 — "the  firm"  had  charge  of  the  publications  of 
the  Church.  The  work  had  been  undertaken  under 
great  difficulties,  but  was  nobly  accomplished.  Not 
only  were  the  financial  difficulties  removed,  but  the 
establishment  became  a  valuable  possession.  In  1854, 
on  the  renewal  of  its  contract,  the  firm  voluntarily 
transferred  to  the  Synod  one-half  of  this  property,  and 
ten  years  later  disposed  of  its  entire  interest  in  the 

concern  to  the  same  body  at  a  price  much  lower  than 

i 
its    real  value.     The   course  of  the  firm  of  M.  Kieffer 

&  Co.  was  recognized  as  most  liberal,  and  the  Synod 
spontaneously  added  to  the  purchase  money  the  sum 
of  one  thousand  dollars,  which  may  be  regarded  as  a 
testimonial  of  gratitude  for  many  years  of  faithful  ser- 
vice. 

The  printing  establishment  was  now  entirely  in  the 
hands  of  the  Church,  and  its  future  appeared  exceed- 
ingly promising.  The  Board  of  Publication  procured 
new  presses,  and  all  the  material  necessary  for  a  first- 
class  publishing  house.  The  Church  had  long  desired 
the  publication  of  denominational  literature,  and  now, 
it  was  believed,  the  time  had  come  when  its  wishes 


HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

could  be  gratified.  The  men  who  had  formerly  so 
wisely  conducted  the  publications  of  the  Church  were 
to  be  continued  in  their  respective  stations,  and  under 
their  guidance  success  appeared  almost  a  certainty. 

Suddenly  a  calamity  occurred  which  in  a  few  hours 
swept  away  the  accumulations  of  years.  It  was  dur- 
ing the  civil  war,  and  Chambersburg,  which  was  near 
the  border,  had  been  several  times  visited  by  the 
forces  of  the  enemy,  but  the  inhabitants  had  suffered 
no  injury,  and  felt  no  premonition  of  the  coming  evil. 
On  the  morning  of  the  3Oth  of  July,  1864,  a  detach- 
ment of  the  Southern  army  entered  Chambersburg  and 
laid  the  greater  portion  of  the  town  in  ashes.  "  in  the 
general  destruction,"  says  Dr.  Fisher,  "our  beautiful 
printing  establishment,  with  all  its  valuable  contents, 
was  involved.  Nothing  was  saved  from  the  general 
wreck,  except  the  stereotype  plates  and  the  principal 
account-books,  which  were  in  a  large  fire-proof  vault, 
built  in  the  previous  spring  for  the  use  of  the  estab- 
lishment. Thus  was  the  labor  of  years  wantonly  de- 
stroyed. The  loss,  at  a  moderate  estimate  made  at 
the  time,  footed  up  at  nearly  $43,000." 

The  destruction  of  the  printing  establishment  left 
the  Church  without  the  necessary  facilities  for  issuing 
its  periodicals,  and  Dr.  Fisher,  at  the  direction  of  the 
Board,  proceeded  to  Philadelphia  to  make  the  best 
arrangements  which  were  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances. It  was  an  undertaking  of  great  difficulty,  but 
Dr.  Fisher  was  so  energetic  and  successful  that,  after 


PUBLICATIONS.  339 

an  interval  of  only  four  weeks,  the  periodicals  were 
once  more  in  the  hands  of  their  subscribers. 

From  this  time  forth  the  history  of  the  Board  of 
Publication  is  so  well  known  that  it  is  not  necessary 
to  consider  it  minutely.  We  need  only  say  that  the 
Rev.  Dr.  S.  R.  Fisher  was  the  efficient  business  super- 
intendent until  his  death,  since  which  time  the  posi- 
tion has  been  held  by  his  son,  the  Rev.  Charles  G. 
Fisher.  The  latter  has  recently  by  purchase  and  lease 
secured  the  privilege  of  publishing  the  books  and  periodi- 
cals of  the  church  for  a  term  of  years.  The  contributions 
received  from  the  Church,  together  with  what  was 
realized  from  the  sale  of  the  lot  in  Chambersburg  and 
the  State  appropriation  for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers, 
were  not  even  sufficicient  to  compensate  the  Board  for 
its  loss,  much  less  to  enable  it  to  undertake  important 
enterprises.  Besides  successfully  conducting  the  peri- 
odicals of  the  Church,  it  has,  however,  issued  a  num- 
ber of  instructive  and  devotional  volumes,  some  of 
which  have  enjoyed  an  extensive  circulation. 

We  have  already,  in  other  connections,  referred  to 
the  work  of  the  Reformed  Publishing  Company  in 
Dayton,  and  the  German  Publishing  House  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  Though  we  cannot  consider  their  opera- 
tions in  detail,  we  are  happy  to  be  assured  that  they 
are  actively  and  successfully  engaged  in  the  perform- 
ance of  their  important  functions.  We  fear,  however, 
that  the  Church  has  not  yet  learned  fully  to  appreci- 


34O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

ate  the  importance  of  properly  encouraging  its  publi- 
cation interests.  In  these  days  it  ought  not  to  be 
necessary  to  insist  upon  the  power  of  the  Press;  and 
it  is  very  certain  that  the  Church  cannot  fully  accom- 
plish her  mission  without  employing  that  power  to  the 
utmost  in  the  service  of  her  blessed  Lord. 

PAROCHIAL   AND   SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 

The  German  churches,  in  Europe  and  America  have 
always  devoted  much  attention  to  the  instruction  of 
the  young.  They  are  emphatically  "the  Catechetical 
churches,"  and  have  been  more  frequently  reproached 
for  the  unusual  stress  laid  by  them  on  this  subject 
than  for  any  supposed  neglect  of  duty.  In  our  earlier 
history,  religious  instruction  was  always  regarded  as 
an  essential  part  of  education.  When  our  fathers  es- 
tablished a  church,  they  almost  invariably  founded  a 
parochial  school  at  its  side.  They  generally  built  a 
house  which  contained  a  large  school-room,  and  at  the 
same  time  served  as  a  comfortable  residence  for  the 
teacher.  In  many  instances  the  latter  had  the  use  of 
a  farm  which  belonged  to  the  congregation,  besides 
receiving  a  small  annual  stipend  for  playing  the  organ 
in  the  church,  and  whatever  sums  were  paid  him  by 
parents  for  the  tuition  of  their  children.  The  children 
of  the  poor,  as  a  rule,  received  instruction  free  of  charge. 

The  secular  learning  imparted  was  perhaps  inadequate, 
if  judged  by  the  standards  of  the  present  day;  but  there 
was  no  lack  of  relisfious  training.  The  author  well  re- 


PAROCHIAL   AND   SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.  34! 

members  one  of  these  schools  which  it  was  his  privilege 
to  attend  in  early  youth.  Every  morning  the  scholars 
gathered  from  miles  around  in  the  long,  old-fashioned 
school-room,  and  joined  in  the  united  repetition  of  the 
Apostles'  Creed  and  the  Lord's  Prayer.  The  Scripture 
lesson  for  the  day  was  read,  and  then  the  master  led  in 
prayer.  Twice  a  week  the  Ten  Commandments  were 
repeated,  and  certain  hours  were  regularly  devoted  to 
instruction  in  the  Catechism,  preparatory  to  the  pastor's 
Catechetical  lectures,  which  were  regarded  as  a  direct 
preparation  for  Confirmation  and  the  Holy  Communion. 
In  the  evening  the  school  was  closed  with  singing  and 
prayer.  How  earnestly  all  united  in  singing  the  ancient 
German  choral:  "  Ach  bleib  bei  uns,  Herr  Jesu  Christ!" 

«'  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  abide,  we  pray ! 
The  evening  comes,  we've  spent  the  day. 
Thy  blessed  word  and  sacrament 
May  we  preserve  unto  life's  end ! " 

From  such  a  school  the  transition  to*  the  Church 
was  easy.  Every  Sunday  the  pastor  gathered  the  young 
folks  around  him  in  the  church,  and  instructed  them 
for  an  hour  before  the  regular  services;  the  afternoon 
was  reserved  for  the  Sunday-school,  which  was  still  in  a 
somewhat  incipient  condition.  Though  there  have  been 
many  changes,  we  are  glad  to  know  that  in  some  of  our 
oldest  churches  the  ancient  custom  of  Sunday  catechisa- 
tion  is  still  maintained,  without,  of  course,  suffering  it 
to  interfere  with  Sunday-school  or  the  regular  courses 
of  catechetical  lectures. 


342  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

When  we  remember  how  carefully  our  fathers  pro- 
vided for  the  religious  instruction  of  their  children  in  the 
way  which  we  have  indicated,  we  cannot  be  surprised 
that  Sunday-schools  were  rather  slow  in  making  their 
way  into  the  Reformed  Churches.  The  earliest  German 
Reformed  Sunday-school  of  which  we  have  any  knowl- 
edge, was  organized  with  forty  scholars,  in  the  church 
on  Race  st,  near  Fourth,  Philadelphia,  on  the  I4th  of 
April,  1806.  The  Sunday-school  of  the  First  Reformed 
Church  of  Baltimore,  was  not  founded  until  1822;  and 
about  the  same  time  schools  were  established  in  a  num- 
ber of  churches  of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland. 

Though  there  was  at  first  some  popular  opposition  to 
Sunday-schools,  especially  in  rural  districts,  their  excel- 
lence was  long  since  universally  recognized.  Many  of 
our  most  eminent  ministers  have  taken  great  interest  in 
the  Sunday-school,  and  as  a  result  of  their  literary  labors 
we  have  had  a  long  series  of  catechisms,  hymn-books, 
and  periodical  publications.  Books  for  the  library, 
illustrative  of  the  social  and  religious  life  of  the  Re- 
formed Church,  are,  however,  still  a  desideratum.  Of 
late  years  Conventions,  devoted  to  the  advancement  of 
the  cause  of  Sunday-schools,  have  been  held  in  various 
parts  of  the  Church,  and  have  certainly  done  much 
good  in  directing  attention  to  this  important  interest. 

The  minutes  of  the  General  Synod  for  1884  report 
1,378  Sunday-schools  with  114,720  scholars.  Some  of 
these  schools  are,  however,  in  all  probability,  held  in 
union  churches,  and  therefore  do  not  belong  exclusively 


ORPHAN    HOMES.  343 

to  the  Reformed  Church.  This  is  a  fact  which  should  be 
kept  in  mind  in  computing  the  average  amount  of  their 
benevolent  contributions  and  the  possible  extension  of 
our  periodical  literature.  Many  Reformed  Sunday- 
schools  have  recently  manifested  great  interest  in  the 
work  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  the  increased  contribu- 
tions to  this  cause  are  in  great  measure  due  to  their 
active  benevolence. 

ORPHAN    HOMES. 

In  1863  the  Rev.  Emanuel  Boehringer,1  pastor  of  a 
small  mission  church  at  Bridesburg,  Philadelphia,  was 
moved  by  Christian  sympathy  to  admit  several  home- 
less orphans  to  his  family  circle.  This  was  purely  an 
act  of  faith,  for  he  himself  was  very  poor  in  this  world's 
goods;  but  his  faith  proved  all  sufficient.  Christian 
friends  came  to  his  aid,  and  he  was  thus  enabled  to 
found  the  Orphans'  Home,  which  was  for  some  time 
known  by  the  name  of  "The  Shepherd  of  Lambs," 
but  is  now  called  "Bethany."  One  year  later  the 
founder  and  his  faithful  wife  entered  into  their  heavenly 
rest,  but  their  work  was  not  suffered  to  fail.  As  the 
location  at  Bridesburg  was  found  unsuitable,  the  Home 
was,  in  1867,  removed  to  Womelsdorf,  Berks  county, 
Pa.,  where  it  has  greatly  prospered.  Even  the  destruc- 

'Mr.  Eoehringer  and  the  author  of  this  volume  were  simultaneously 
ordained  at  Ilarrisburg,  Pa.,  on  the  23d  of  October, '  1859,  during  the 
sessions  of  Synod.  They  met  for  the  first  time  at  the  allar,  and  after  the 
services  they  separated,  never  to  meet  again  in  this  world. 


344  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

tion  of  the  buildings  by  fire,  on  the  night  of  November 
II,  1882,  turned  out  to  be  a  blessing  in  disguise;  for 
the  affliction  opened  new  streams  of  benevolence,  and  a 
new  and  beautiful  structure  has  arisen  from  the  ashes. 
The  Home  has  a  good  farm,  and  there  is  no  debt; 
but  the  running  expenses  are,  of  course,  large,  and  to 
provide  for  these  the  free-will  offerings  of  Christians 
are  the  only  resource.  At  present  the  orphans  in  the 
institution  number  about  sixty,  and  this  number  the 
Board  desires,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  increase  to  at  least 
one  hundred.  The  number  of  applications  is  large,  and 
the  accommodations  in  the  new  building  are  ample;  it 
remains  for  'the  friends  of  the  orphans  to  extend  the 
blessings  of  the  Home  by  their  beneficence. 

St.  Paul's  Orphans'  Home  at  Butler,  Pa.,  was  founded 
in  1868,  and  derives  its  support  principally  from  the 
Synods  of  Pittsburgh  and  Ohio.  It  is  reported  as 
being  in  an  excellent  condition.  "  Its  location  is 
healthy,  its  surroundings  are  beautiful,  and  its  man- 
agement is  of  the  very  best  order."  As  in  other  sim- 
ilar institutions,  children  are  most  frequently  received 
at  an  early  age,  and  are  then  carefully  trained  until 
they  reach  the  age  of  from  thirteen  to  fifteen  years, 
when  they  are  indentured  into  good  Christian  families, 
where  they  will  be  still  further  prepared  to  become 
useful  members  of  society.  At  present  the  number  of 
orphans  is  about  thirty-six,  and  this  number  will  be 
increased  as  rapidly  as  the  means  at  hand  will  allow. 

The    Reformed    Orphans'    Home,  near  Fort   Wayne, 


ORPHAN    HOMES.  345 

Indiana,  is  under  the  special  patronage  of  the  Central 
Synod  and  the  Synod  of  the  North  West.  Having  but 
recently  been  founded,  the  number  of  orphans  is  not 
large;  but  the  churches  have  been  liberal,  and  the  pros- 
pects of  the  institution  are  excellent. 

"  Zoar,"  at  Detroit,  Mich.,  admits  adults  as  well  as  or- 
phans. Besides  a  considerable  number  of  children, 
twenty-one  aged  persons  were  recently  members  of  this 
Christian  family. 

The  cause  of  the  orphans  appeals  directly  to  our 
warmest  sympathies,  and  is  consequently  regarded  with 
special  favor.  It  has  not  only  proved  a  blessing  to  hun- 
dreds of  poor  children,  who  have  been  saved  from  suffer- 
ing and  sin  and  taught  the  truth  of  Christ;  but  it  has 
otherwise  conferred  blessings  upon  the  Church.  In 
days  of  dissension,  when  brethren  found  it  difficult  to 
labor  together,  the  cause  of  the  Orphans  remained  a 
precious  bond  of  unity.  It  not  only  softened  the  asperi- 
ties of  theological  controversy,  but  directly  fostered  the 
Christian  charity  which  is  the  fairest  blossom  of  our 
faith.  We  are,  therefore,  not  surprised  to  behold  the 
prosperity  and  rapid  extension  of  this  excellent  work. 
The  field  is  practically  limitless,  and  the  number  of 
applicants  would  no  doubt  be  increased  ten-fold  if  the 
means  were  at  hand  for  their  support.  We  hope  the 
stream  of  charity  which  flows  in  this  direction  may  in- 
crease until  thousands  are  partakers  of  the  blessings 
which  it  brings. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

Doctrine — Discipline — Cultus. 

THE  doctrine  of  the  Reformed  Church  is  best  studied 
in  its  history.  Though  it  has  had  many  theological 
schools,  which  have  varied  greatly  in  their  modes  of 
expression  and  in  the  doctrines  which  they  specially 
intoned,  we  believe  the  Church  as  a  whole  has  been 
faithful  to  the  great  truths  which  were  promulgated  in 
her  name  in  the  sixteenth  century  and  for.  which  so 
many  of  her  children  suffered  and  died. 

It  has  sometimes  been  objected  to  the  Reformed 
Church  that  she  has  but  few  distinctive  peculiarities  ;  yet 
is  not  this,  after  all,  her  chief  glory  ?  She  d  ;es  not,  in 
any  sectarian  fashion,  exalt  a  single  doctrine  at  the  ex- 
pense of  all  the  rest,  but  seeks  to  hold  the  whole  truth  in 
due  and  harmonious  proportion.  Nor  should  it  be  for- 
gotten, that  most  of  the  denominations  which  so  closely 
resemble  the  Reformed  Church  are  of  much  more  recent 
origin,  and  have  copied  the  model  which  she  provided 
them  in  doctrine,  discipline,  and  cultus.  "  Imitation  is 
the  sincerest  homage." 

As  regards  doctrinal  standards,  the  Reformed  Church 
in  the  United  States  holds  "that  the  Holy  Scriptures  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testament,  which  are  called  canonical 

scriptures,  are  genuine,  authentic,  inspired,  and  therefore 

(346) 


DOCTRINE.  347 

divine  scriptures ;  that  they  contain  all  things  which  re- 
late to  the  faith,  the  practice,  and  the  hope  of  the  right- 
eous, and  are  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice  in  the 
Church  of  God ;  that  consequently  no  traditions,  as  they 
are  called,  and  no  mere  conclusions  of  reason,  which  are 
contrary  to  the  clear  testimony  of  these  scriptures,  can  be 
received  as  rules  of  faith  or  of  life."  It  receives,  how- 
ever, the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  believing  "  the  doctrine 
of  the  Catechism  to  be  the  doctrine  revealed  to  us  in  the 
Bible."  The  Catechism,  according  to  its  own  statement, 
rests  upon  the  Apostles'  Creed.  With  the  various  con- 
fessions adopted  by  other  branches  of  the  Reformed 
Church,  we  have  no  controversy ;  but  find  no  necessity 
for  a  more  definite  declaration  of  doctrine  than  that 
which  is  contained  in  the  Heidelberg  Catechism.  It 
contains  "  all  things  which  it  is  necessary  for  a  Christian 
to  believe;"  it  allows  all  proper  liberty  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  truth  ;  and  withal  is  full  of  Christian  charity. 
At  the  very  beginning,  the  Catechism  points  with 
special  emphasis  to  Christ  as  the  source  of  redemption 
and  salvation.  It  teaches  substantially  the  old  Augus- 
tinian  doctrine  of  natural  depravity  and  salvation  by 
free  grace  alone,  which,  as  we  have  seen,  was  the 
doctrine  not  only  of  Calvin  but  of  all  the  chief  Re- 
formers. It  does  not,  however,  teach  a  decree  of 
reprobation,  and  as  a  whole  directs  our  attention  rather 
to  the  work  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  than  to  the 
decree  in  accordance  with  which  it  was  accomplished. 
The  German  branch  of  the  Reformed  Church  accord- 


34-S  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

ingly  allows  freedom  for  more  moderate  views  on  the 
subject  of  predestination  than  are  usual  in  the  more 
strictly  Calvinistic  Reformed  churches.  We  are,  how- 
ever, by  no  means  Pelagian  or  Arminian. 

With  regard  to  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, the  Reformed  Church  teaches,  in  accordance  with 
the  Catechism,  the  spiritual  real  presence  of  the  body 
and  blood  of  Christ  in  the  Holy  Eucharist,  for  believ- 
ers only.  It  does  not  hold,  as  has  sometimes  been 
asserted  by  its  opponents,  that  the  sacrament  is  a 
mere  memorial  of  the  sufferings  and  death  of  Christ. 
Not  "in,  with,  and  under"  the  visible  elements,  but 
by  the  working  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  "  who  dwells  both 
in  Christ  and  in  us,"  we  become  by  faith  "partakers 
of  the  true  body  and  blood  of  Christ."  As  has  already 
been  shown,  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United 
States,  in  common  with  all  the  other  branches  of  the 
same  historical  confession,  differs  on  this  point  from 
the  doctrine  of  Luther. 

The  Reformed  Church  regards  the  children  of  Chris- 
tian parents  as  belonging  to  the  covenant  and  people 
of  God,  and  therefore  considers  them  proper  subjects 
for  Christian  baptism.  In  this  respect  she  differs  from 
the  various  Baptist  communities.  The  Church  insists 
that  her  ministers  shall  carefully  instruct  the  young 
in  the  teachings  of  the  Catechism*,  as  the  best  means 
of  preparing  them  for  confirmation  and  admission  to 
the  Lord's  Table.  Confirmation,  as  practiced  in  the 
Reformed  Church,  is  regarded  as  a  solemn  and  appro- 


ORGANIZATION    AND    DISCIPLINE.  349 

priate  rite.  It  is  not,  however,  considered  a  sacrament, 
and  when  members  are  received  by  certificate  from 
denominations  in  which  this  rite  is  not  practiced,  it  is 
not  usual  to  require  them  to  receive  confirmation. 
While  the  Church  lays  stress  on  the  importance  of 
experimental  religion  and  Christian  experience,  it  re- 
gards faithful  instruction  in  the  truths  of  God's  word 
as  the  best  means  to  be  used  in  leading  to  this  end. 
The  authorized  teaching  of  the  Church  is  conveyed 
by  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  to  which  those  who 
desire  to  become  acquainted  with  our  doctrines  are 
always  referred. 

ORGANIZATION    AND    DISCIPLINE. 

The  Protestant  Churches  of  the  continent  of  Europe 
have  always  laid  special  stress  on  the  preservation  of 
purity  of  doctrine,  while  they  regard  external  organiza- 
tion and  the  ritual  of  worship  as  matters  of  minor  im- 
portance. Calvin  and  Bullinger  advised  their  friends  in 
foreign  countries  to  maintain  the  truths  of  the  Gospel 
even  with  their  blood,  but  in  matters  of  external  organi- 
zation to  accommodate  themselves  to  the  policy  of  the 
government.  This  advice  was  given  on  the  ground  that, 
while  the  Scriptures  emphatically  teach  the  necessity  of 
order  and  discipline,  they  nowhere  enjoin  a  particular 
form  of  church-government.  That  every  Christian 
minister  is  a  bishop  in  the  sense  of  the  New  Testament 
was  universally  acknowledged,  and  the  fact  that  so  little 
is  said  on  the  subject  by  wav  of  command  led  the 


35O  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

churches  to  the  conclusion  that,  while  the  general  prin- 
ciples of  church-government  are  unchangeable,  particular 
features  may  be  regulated  by  Christian  expediency.  At 
first  the  Reformed  people  found  great  difficulty  in  attain- 
ing to  complete  organization.  In  many  countries  they 
were  compelled  to  worship  secretly ;  but  as  often  as 
possible  they  held  Synods  consisting  of  ministers  and 
delegates  from  the  isolated  "  churches  under  the  cross." 
"  As  the  effect  of  persecution,"  says  Dr.  Demarest, 
"  they  were  determined,  when  the  time  came  for  organi- 
zation, to  have  much  of  the  popular  element  in  the 
Church  constitution,  and  much  of  simplicity  in  public 
worship."  The  system  of  government  which  had  grown 
up  in  Switzerland,  and  was  finally  elaborated  by  Calvin, 
was  gradually  accepted  by  most  of  the  Reformed 
Churches.  It  avoided  the  extreme  of  tyranny  on  the 
one  hand  and  of  independency  on  the  other,  and  was 
especially  well  suited  to  the  government  of  a  Church 
which  had  little  to  hope  from  the  favor  of  the  state.  In 
some  countries,  where  the  relations  of  the  Church  with 
the  civil  power  were  more  intimate  than  elsewhere,  the 
government  of  the  Church  became  practically  a  function 
of  the  civil  power,  and  its  more  popular  features  were 
never  fully  realized;  but  though  this  condition  of  affairs 
was  regarded  as  unfortunate,  it  was  on  purity  of  doctrine 
that  the  unity  of  the  Church  was  believed  chiefly  to 
depend. 

In   accordance  with  their  chosen   system  of  govern- 
ment, the   Reformed   churches   still   hold  that  all   min- 


ORGANIZATION   AND    DISCIPLINE.  351 

isters  are  equal  in  office,  and  elect  and  institute  ruling 
elders  and  deacons,  who  represent  the  people,  and  are 
at  the  same  time  partakers  in  a  degree  of  the  functions  of 
the  ministry. 

The  Reformed  Church,  therefore,  differs  from  the 
Episcopalians,  who  are  governed  by  diocesan  bishops, 
and  from  the  Congregationalists,  who  teach  the  inde- 
pendence of  each  congregation.  The  questions  of  pres- 
bytery, episcopacy,  and  independency,  are,  however, 
according  to  Dr.  Schaff,  "questions  of  polity,  not  of 
dogma,"  and  the  German  churches  have  never  made 
them  the  subject  of  extended  discussion. 

In  England  and  Scotland  the  case  has  been  differ- 
ent. The  Church  of  England  at  first  acknowledged 
the  validity  of  the  ordination  of  the  ministers  of  other 
Protestant  churches,  and  held  "that  episcopacy  is  not 
the  only,  but  the  best  form  of  government,  and  neces- 
sary not  for  the  being,  but  only  for  the  well-being  of 
the  Church."1  But  there  came  a  time  of  great  con- 
flict, in  which  questions  concerning  church-government 
were  exalted  beyond  their  original  significance.  The 
kings  of  the  Stuart  family  unwisely  attempted  to  force 
episcopacy  upon  the  reluctant  people  of  Scotland,  and 
in  the  struggle  which  ensued,  the  question  of  church- 
government  came  to  be  regarded  as  a  matter  of  para- 
mount importance.  The  doctrinal  aspects  of  the  ques- 
tions at  issue  were  earnestly  discussed,  and  the  difference 

1  Schaff's  "  Harmony  of  the  Reformed  Confessions,"  p.  27. 


HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

was  made  much  greater  than  Knox  and  Cranmer  ever 
anticipated. 

The  German  Reformed  congregations,  on  their  organ- 
ization in  America,  naturally  followed  in  the  main  the 
pattern  which  was  provided  for  them  by  the  Churches 
of  Holland  and  the  Rhine  provinces  of  Germany. 
This  pattern  became  traditional,  and  the  differences 
between  the  Constitutions  of  the  several  congregations 

o        o 

were  but  trifling.  More  than  a  centuiy,  however, 
passed  away  before  the  Church,  as  a  whole,  adopted  a 
Constitution.  In  an  able  report  presented  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  T.  L.  Hoffeditz  to  the  Synod  of  the  United  States, 
in  1839,  it  is  stated  that  there  was  even  at  that  time 
no  document  in  existence  which  could  properly  be 
called  the  Constitution  of  the  Reformed  Church.  The 
""Synodalordnung,"  to  which  we  have  already  referred, 
was  properly  a  series  of  rules  of  order  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  Synod.  A  provisional  "  Discipline "  had 
been  adopted  by  the  Synod  in  1828,  but  it  was  never 
formally  sanctioned  by  the  Church.  The  "  Constitu- 
tion" was  not  adopted  until  1845.  It  was  principally 
the  work  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  R.  Fisher,  who,  dur- 
ing his  life-time,  was  regarded  as  the  chief  authority 
for  its  exposition.  It  is  felt  to  be  imperfect  in  various 
minor  particulars;  and  the  Church  has  for  a  series  of 
years  been  engaged  in  the  work  of  its  revision.  Though 
the  desired  consummation  has  not  yet  been  attained, 
it  is  believed  that  it  cannot  now  be  far  distant. 

Though  it  would  be  manifestly  beyond  our  province 


ORGANIZATION   AND    DISCIPLINE.  353 

to  furnish  an  abstract  of  the  Constitution,  it  may  not  be 
out  of  place  to  say  a  few  words  concerning  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States.  In 
its  general  features  it  closely  resembles  that  of  the  other 
Reformed  Churches.  The  affairs  of  each  congregation 
are  committed  to  a  consistory,  consisting  of  the  minister, 
elders,  and  deacons.  The  elders  and  deacons  are  elected 
for  a  term  of  years.  The  minister  and  elders  constitute 
the  "  spiritual  council,"  which  attends  to  the  reception 
and  dismissal  of  members,  exercises  discipline,  and  has 
a  general  supervision  over  the  spiritual  interests  of  the 
congregation.  In  a  few  congregations  there  is  a  Board 
of  Trustees  which  holds  the  property  in  the  name  of  the 
congregation;  but  this  arrangement  has  frequently 
caused  trouble,  and  such  matters  are  much  better  left  in 
the  hands  of  the  Consistory.  The  ministers  and  one 
elder  from  each  pastoral  charge  within  a  certain  district 
constitute  the  Classis,  which  in  its  nature  and  functions 
closely  resembles  the  Presbytery  in  the  Presbyterian 
Churches.  A  certain  number  of  delegates,  clerical  and 
lay,  from  each  Classis  within  a  specified  district,  consti- 
tute the  Particular  Synod,  which  meets  annually.  The 
number  of  delegates  from  each  Classis  is  proportioned  to 
the  number  of  ministers  which  it  includes.  A  Synod  may 
meet  in  general  convention,  including  all  the  ministers 
within  its  bounds,  whenever  it  regards  this  as  desirable, 
and  has  resolved  to  do  so  at  a  previous  meeting. 

There   are   at   present    eight    Particular,   or    District. 
Synods,  of  which  five  are  prevailingly  English  and  three 
23 


354  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

German.  The  oldest  of  these  is  still  known  as  "  The 
Synod  of  the  United  States,"  though  it  has  long  since 
ceased  to  occupy  a  field  as  extensive  as  its  title  indicates. 
Out  of  its  territory  have  been  constituted  the  Pittsburg 
and  Potomac  Synods,  and  the  German  Synod  of  the 
East.  In  a  similar  way  the  Synod  of  Ohio,  which  once 
exercised  supreme  jurisdiction  over  the  Reformed 
Churches  of  the  West,  has  become  the  mother  of  the 
Synod  of  the  North  West  and  the  Central  Synod. 
Since  1863  the  Particular  Synods  are  under  the  supervis- 
ion of  the  General  Synod,  which  meets  triennially,  and 
is  a  court  of  the  last  resort  in  judicial  cases.  We  need 
hardly  add  that  our  discipline  is  purely  spiritual,  and 
extends  not  only  to  the  ministers,  but  to  all  the  baptized 
members.  The  humblest  member  of  the  Church  who 
feels  aggrieved  by  the  decision  of  an  ecclesiastical  body 
may  carry  his  case  by  appeal  or  complaint  to  a  higher 
court.  The  Reformed  Church  has  always,  in  her 
standards,  declared  the  necessity  of  excluding  from  her 
communion  "those  who  by  confession  and  life  declare 
themselves  infidels  and  ungodly,"  but  at  the  same  time 
guards  with  loving  care  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the 
weakest  of  her  children.  • 

CULTUS. 

Hymn-Books.  The  gradual  awakening  of  the  Church 
to  a  sense  of  its  mission  in  this  country  brought  with  it 
an  earnest  desire  for  improvement  in  cultus,  or  worship. 
The  "  Neues  und  Verbessertes  Gesangbuch "  was  now 


CULTUS.  355 

old,  and  the  worthlessn'ess  of  the  "  Gemeinschaftliches 
Gesangbuch"  had  become  apparent.  In  some  parts  of 
the  Church,  congregational  singing  had  almost  become  a 
"  lost  art."  In  many  churches,  after  the  reading  of  the 
entire  hymn  by  the  minister,  each  line  was  announced 
and  sung  separately,  and  frequently,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, the  minister  and  organist  were  almost  the  only 
persons  in  the  congregation  who  audibly  joined  in 
singing.  Occasionally  the  volume  of  sound  was  in- 
creased by  the  jingling  of  little  bells,  attached  to  alms- 
bags  (Klingelsdcke)  which  were  fastened  to  long  poles 
and  handed  around  by  the  deacons  to  receive  the  collec- 
tion. An  improvement  in  church-music  was  certainly 
eminently  desirable;  and  the  Synod  of  the  United  States 
accordingly,  in  1841,  appointed  a  committee  to  prepare 
an  improved  edition  of  the  German  hymn-book.  The 
committee,  however,  proceeded  t'o  form  a  new  collection, 
and  the  result  of  their  labors  was  the  publication,  in 
1842,  of  the  "Sammlung  Evangelischer  Lieder,"  which 
was  popularly  known  as  the  "  Chambersburg  Hymn- 
book."  It  was,  unfortunately,  hastily  prepared,  without 
proper  familiarity  with  the  principles  of  hymnology;  and 
though  extensively  used  for  some  years,  it  never  gained 
a  permanent  place  in  the  affections  of  the  Church.  The 
hymn-book  which  is  at  present  in  general  use  in  our 
German  churches  was  prepared  in  accordance  with  a 
resolution  adopted  in  1857  by  the  Synod  of  the  United 
States.  In  consequence  of  certain  difficulties  concerning 
the  place  and  terms  of  its  publication,  the  book  was 


356  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

issued  as  a  private  enterprise,  in  1859,  by  the  chairman 
of  the  committee,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Schaff,  who  had  made 
the  collection.  Two  years  later,  in  1861,  it  was  formally 
adopted  by  the  two  Synods  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
It  is  generally  recognized  as  a  collection  of  the  highest 
order. 

In  the  English  churches  the  hymn-book  of  the  Re- 
formed Protestant  Dutch  Church  was  at  first  generally 
used;  but  in  1830  the  Synod  adopted  a  collection 
known  by  the  general  title  of  "  Psalms  and  Hymns," 
which  had  been  made  by  a  committee  of  the  Maryland 
Classis.  The  appendix  was  added  three  years  later.  It 
was  a  very  respectable  collection,  considering  the  time 
of  its  publication,  and  compared  very  favorably  with 
those  which  were  then  in  use  in  other  denominations. 

Within  the  past  decade  this  book  has  been  in  great 
measure  superseded  by  two  collections,  "  Hymns  for  the 
Reformed  Church "  and  "  Reformed  Church  Hymnal," 
These  were  prepared  after  careful  study  of  hymnologic 
sources,  and,  we  believe,  are  fully  accomplishing  their 
purpose  in  promoting  the  devotion  of  the  Church. 
Collections  of  music  to  accompany  our  hymn-books, 
both  German  and  English,  have  also  been  published, 
and  there  is  every  indication  that  the  Church  is  now 
taking  a  profound  interest  in  the  culture  and  develop- 
ment of  sacred  song. 

Liturgies.  Though  the  Reformed  Church,  during  her 
entire  history,  has  showed  a  marked  preference  for  forms 
of  worship  which  are  simple  and  unpretentious,  she  has 


CULTUS.  357 

also  insisted  that  everything  should  be  done  "  decently 
and  in  order."  In  her  religious  services  she  has  fol- 
lowed the  general  order  of  the  Church-year,  faithfully 
observing  the  great  festivals  of  the  Church,  especially 
Christmas,  Good  Friday,  Easter,  Ascension  Day  and 
Pentecost.  Her  oldest  liturgies  date  from  the  days  of 
the  earliest  of  the  Reformers;  and  though  in  various 
European  countries  the  forms  of  worship  differed 
greatly,  the  desirability  of  having  such  offices  for  the 
guidance  of  the  Church  was  never  seriously  questioned. 
In  the  administration  of  the  sacraments,  and  other 
sacred  rites,  it  was  deemed  especially  important  that  the 
form  of  words  should  be  settled  by  the  Church ;  and 
the  fact  was  generally  recognized  that  divine  ordinances 
may  be  easily,  though  perhaps  unconsciously,  profaned, 
when,  the  manner  of  their  administration  is  left  to  the 
individual  tastes  of  the  officiating  minister. 

In  this  country,  as  we  have  seen,  the  worship  of 
the  Reformed  churches  was  at  first  conducted  in  gen- 
eral accordance  with  the  Palatinate  Liturgy,  with  which 
most  of  the  pioneers  had  been  familiar  in  Europe. 
This  liturgy,  however,  needed  thorough  revision  to 
render  it  suitable  for  permanent  use  in  this  country; 
and  this,  unfortunately,  it  did  not  receive.  It  was  not 
re-printed  in  America,  and 'after  a  while  became  quite 
rare.  Then  there  came  a  time  of  great  confusion  in 
the  ordering  of  public  worship.  Some  ministers,  in 
the  performance  of  their  official  acts,  employed  the 
liturgies  of  various  European  countries,  while  others 


358  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

used  manuscript  collections  of  unknown  origin,  which 
had  perhaps  been  given  them  by  their  preceptors  at 
the  beginning  of  their  ministerial  career.  The  prac- 
tice of  the  churches  of  different  sections  of  the  country 
varied  greatly  even  where  the  service  was  entirely 
"  free,"  and  the  result  was  a  general  looseness  in  every- 
thing concerning  ceremonial  observance,  that  was  uni- 
versally deplored. 

The  first  attempt  to  remedy  the  existing  evil  was 
the  publication,  in  1841,  of  a  "Liturgy"  prepared  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Lewis  Mayer,  as  chairman  of  a  commit- 
tee appointed  by  the  Eastern  Synod.  It  was,  in  fact, 
simply  a  book  of  forms,  for  the  use  of  ministers  on 
special  occasions.  Though  not  without  merit,  it  must 
be  confessed  that  the  "  Mayer  Liturgy "  failed  to  meet 
the  wants  of  the  Church.  It  was,  perhaps,  too  didac- 
tic to  be  acceptable  either  to  ministers  or  people;  but 
it  should  be  remembered  that  it  was  prepared  at  a 
time  when  in  this  country  but  little  attention  had  been 
given  to  liturgic  study. 

The  general  desire  of  the  Church  for  a  new  liturgy 
soon  began  to  find  expression  in  various  ways,  and 
in  1848  was  formally  brought  to  the  attention  of  the 
Eastern  Synod  by  a  request  from  the  Classis  of  East 
Pennsylvania.  The  importance  of  the  subject  was  fully 
appreciated,  and  in  the  following  year,  1849,  it  was 
referred  to  a  committee  consisting  of  the  most  emi- 
nent men  in  the  Church.  In  the  hands  of  this  com- 
mittee the  work  of  forming  a  new  liturgy  progressed 


CULTUS.  359 

but  slowly,  for  difficulties  presented  themselves  at 
almost  every  step  of  the  way.  There  were  differences 
of  opinion  with  regard  to  the  principles  on  which  it 
was  desirable  that  the  liturgy  should  be  constructed ; 
but  the  committee  persevered,  under  the  instructions 
of  Synod,  and  published,  in  1857,  the  "Provisional 
Liturgy,"  which,  from  a  literary  point  of  view,  was  at 
once  recognized  as  a  work  of  a  high  order  of  excel- 
lence. According  to  its  preface,  it  carried  with  it  no 
"binding  obligation,"  and  was  "put  forth  for  the  pur- 
pose of  meeting  and  satisfying,  if  possible,  what  was 
believed  to  be  a  growing  want  of  the  Reformed 
Church."  That  the  "Provisional  Liturgy,"  with  all  its 
undeniable  excellencies,  did  not  meet  the  wants  of  the 
Church,  soon  became  evident,  and  the  question  of  its 
revision  was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Synod. 
This  revision  may  be  regarded  as  having  been,  in  some 
measure,  the  occasion  of  the  liturgic  controversies 
which  for  many  years  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
Church.  From  another  point  of  view  they  may,  how- 
ever, be  regarded  as  a  continuation  of  the  doctrinal 
controversies  to  which  we  have  already  alluded. 
Though  these  conflicts  were  in  many  respects  unfortu- 
nate, it  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  Church  was  roused 
by  them  to  a  high  degree  of  literary  activity.  Even  now, 
a  member  of  any  denomination  who  desires  to  become 
historically  familiar  with  the  subject  of  Christian  cultus, 
cannot  do  better  than  to  study  the  publications  of  the 
Reformed  Church  during  this  momentous  epoch. 


360  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

At  the  first  meeting  of  the  General  Synod,  in  1863, 
the  Synod  of  Ohio  received  permission  to  prepare  a 
liturgy,  and  the  Eastern  Synod  was  recommended  to 
go  forward  in  the  work  of  revising  the  "  Provisional 
Liturgy."  In  accordance  with  this  resolution,  the 
"Order  of  Worship"  appeared  in  1866,  and  the  "West- 
ern Liturgy"  in  the  following  year.  These  works 
also  appeared,  with  necessary  modifications,  in  the 
German  language.  At  last,  in  1878,  the  General  Synod 
committed  all  the  questions  which  had  been  in  con- 
troversy to  a  special  commission,  which  was  known 
as  the  "  Peace  Commission."  In  answer  to  the  prayers 
of  thousands,  this  commission  was,  with  the  blessing 
of  Heaven,  instrumental  in  restoring  peace  to  the 
Church.  As  one  of  the  results  of  its  labors,  it  has 
published  the  "  Directory  of  Worship,"  which  was  by  the 
General  Synod,  held  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1884,  sub- 
mitted to  the  Classes  for  adoption  or  rejection.  In  1887 
it  was  formally  adopted,  and  will  now  serve  as  the 
normal  directory  of  worship,  as  its  name  indicates,  but 
there  will  be  no  disposition  to  use  it  in  an  exclusive 
way.  The  Church  will  practically  continue  to  occupy 
the  position  which  it  has  held  from  the  beginning.  It 
will  value  and  use  its  liturgy,  but  will  in  no  way 
abridge  the  liberty  which  is  the  privilege  of  pastors 
and  people. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  notwithstanding  all  the 
sufferings  which  the  Church  endured  during  its  reason 
of  trial,  it  increased  with  remarkable  rapidity.  We  have 


CULTUS.  36l 

in  1884  three  times  as  many  ministers  as  we  had  in 
1848,  and  the  increase  in  our  membership  has  at  least 
maintained  a  corresponding  proportion.  We  therefore 
recognize  the  hand  of  Providence  in  this  period  of  our 
history,  as  we  do  in  every  other;  and  do  not  doubt 
that  through  all  its  troubles  the  Church  was  struggling 
upward  to  a  higher  stadium  of  religious  life. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

Tercentenary  Celebration — General  Synod — Conclusion. 
THE  year  1863  was  in  many  respects  the  most  bril- 
liant in  our  denominational  history.  Though  it  oc- 
curred in  the  midst  of  a  dreadful  civil  war.  when  the 
Church  might  have  been  expected  to  languish  rather 
than  to  prosper,  the  fact  remains  that  there  was  at  this 
time  a  remarkable  development  in  every  department  of 
Christian  activity.  In  the  Tercentenary  Celebration  we 
have  the  proper  conclusion  of'the  formative  period  of 
our  American  ecclesiastical  history;  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  General  Synod  we  behold  the  beginning  of 
an  epoch  of  growth  and  advancement  which  has  not  yet 
reached  its  highest  comsummation. 

THE  TERCENTENARY  CELEBRATION. 

The  earliest  suggestion  with  respect  to  the  propriety 
of  celebrating  the  3OOth  anniversary  of  the  formation 
and  adoption  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  was  offered 
in  1857,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  H.  Harbaugh,  in  the  first 
volume  of  his  "  Lives  of  the  Fathers."  Two  years  later 
the  suggestion  was  renewed  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  P.  Schaff, 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Classis  of  Mercersburg,  and  being 
sent  up  to  Synod  in  the  form  of  a  request,  was  by  that 

body  referred  to  a  committee,  of  which   the   Rev.   Dr. 

(362) 


THE   TERCENTENARY    CELEBRATION. 


363 


Harbaugh  was  chairman.  The  plan  as  elaborated  by 
this  committee  was  comprehensive  beyond  anything  the 
Church  had  hitherto  attempted.  The  celebration  was 
to  be,  first  of  all,  "a  sublime  festal  service  to  God;" 


but  it  also  demanded  that  the  Church  should  throw 
its  devout,  joyous,  and  zealous  energies  into  all  it  pro- 
posed to  do  during  the  festival  year.  It  involved  the 
holding"  of  a  Convention  on  the  I9th  of  January,  1863; 
the  enrollment  of  all  the  members  of  the  Church,  and 
the  reception  of  memorial  free-will  offerings  from  those 
who  desired  to  present  them;  and  the  preparation  and 


364  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

publication  of  several  important  volumes  having  special 
reference  to  the  celebration. 

The  Convention  by  which  the  Year  of  Jubilee  was 
inaugurated,  met  on  the  evening  of  the  i/th  of  Jan- 
uary, in  the  historic  church  on  Race  street,  below 
Fourth,  Philadelphia,  of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  H.  A. 
Bomberger  was  then  pastor,  and  continued  in  session 
six  days.  The  Rev.  Dr.  J.  W.  Nevin  was  elected 
President,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  S.  R.  Fisher  and  L.  H. 
Steiner,  M.  D.,  served  as  Secretaries.  Original  essays 
on  subjects  connected  with  the  history  and  doctrines 
of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  contributed  by  some  of 
the  most  eminent  divines  in  Europe  and  America,  were 
read  before  the  convention  and  afterwards  discussed. 
The  European  contributors  were  the  Rev.  Drs.  C.  H. 
Hundeshagen,  of  Heidelberg;  J.  J.  Herzog  and  J.  H. 
A.  Ebrard,  both  of  Erlangen;  C.  Ullmann,  of  Carls- 
ruhe,  and  G.  D.  J.  Schotel,  of  Leyden,  Holland. 
Essays  were  also  read  by  the  following  ministers  of 
the  Church  in  this  country :  B.  S.  Schneck,  T.  C.  Por- 
ter, H.  Harbaugh,  Theodore  Appel,  Thos.  G.  Apple, 
M.  Kieffer,  E.  V.  Gerhart,  G.  B.  Russell,  *D.  Cans,  B. 
Bausman,  J.  H.  A.  Bomberger,  B.  C.  Wolff,  and  Thos. 
De  Witt,  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  New  York. 
The  convention  was  large  and  enthusiastic,  and  was  in 
every  respect  a  fitting  introduction  to  the  joys  and 
labors  of  the  year. 

Inspired  with  zeal,  the  pastors  and  delegates  returned 
home,  and  proceeded  to  iaaugurate  Tercentenary  fes- 


THE   TERCENTENARY   CELEBRATION.  365 

tivals  in  the  several  churches.  By  the  co-operation 
of  the  Eastern  and  Western  Synods,  the  celebration 
became  general,  and  many  a  church  was  decked  with 
green  and  decorated  with  symbols  which  indicated  the 
nature  of  the  festival.  The  people  learned  more  con- 
cerning the  Church  of  their  fathers  than  they  had  ever 
heard  before,  and  their  affections  were  naturally  more 
warmly  enlisted  in  its  behalf.  The  enrollment  of  mem- 
bers was  pretty  general,  and  liberal  gifts  to  benevolent 
causes  were  in  many  instances  spontaneously  offered. 
It  had  been  feared  by  many  that  the  enrollment  would 
in  many  sections  be  unfavorably  regarded,  but  these 
anticipations  of  evil  were  not  realized.  Men,  women, 
and  children,  were  pleased  to  know  that  they  were 
individually  recognized  by  the  Church,  and  reflected 
with  satisfaction  on  the  fact  that  their  names  would 
be  recorded  with  her  membership  in  the  Year  of  Jubilee. 

The  Tercentenary  free-will  offerings,  as  reported  in 
the  following  year,  amounted  to  $108,125.98  from  the 
Eastern  Synod  alone.  This  amount  would  have  been 
regarded  as  respectable  in  any  American  denomination, 
but  in  the  Reformed  Church  it  was  an  immense  advance 
on  everything  that  had  preceded  it,  and  it  need  hardly 
be  said  that  it  gave  a  renewed  impetus  to  every  enter- 
prise of  Christian  benevolence. 

Literary  activity  characterized  the  Tercentenary  year 
in  a  remarkable  degree.  The  Tercentenary  edition  of 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  generally  known  as  the 
"Triglot,"  was  prepared  by  a  committee  of  which  the 


366  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

Rev.  E.  V.  Gerhart,  D.  D.,  was  chairman.  It  contains, 
besides  a  valuable  historical  introduction,  the  standard 
text  of  the  Catechism  in  Old  German,  Latin,  Modern 
German,  and  English,  printed  in  parallel  columns. 
The  book  was  issued  in  excellent  style,  by  Scribner, 
of  New  York,  and  is  probably  the  finest  edition  of 
the  Catechism  ever  published.1 

The  Tercentenary  Monument,  a  large  volume  con- 
taining the  Proceedings  of  the  Tercentenary  Convention 
and  the  essays  read  on  the  occasion,  was  published  by 
M.  Kieffer  &  Co.,  in  English  and  German.  It  is  a  great 
storehouse  of  valuable  materials,  and  is  still  deserving 
of  careful  study. 

It  was  also  proposed  to  publish  a  "  Digest  of  the 
Minutes,"  but  this  work  still  remains  a  desideratum. 
A  book  of  this  kind,  in  which  all  the  decisions  of  our 
Synods,  from  the  beginning,  might  be  found  arranged 
for  ready  reference,  would  manifestly  be  of  great  value. 
Renewed  attention  has  recently  been  directed  to  the 
subject,  and  it  is  hoped  the  "Digest"  will  be  speedily 
completed.  "  The  Historical  Society  of  the  Reformed 
Church"  was  organized  in  accordance  with  a  resolution 
of  the  Tercentenary  Convention.  It  has  succeeded  in 
accumulating  a  library  of  considerable  value,  but  has  not 
received  the  sympathy  and  support  which  it  evidently 
deserves. 

Other  subjects  to  which  the  attention  of  the  Church 

*As  a  preparation  for  this  work,  an  edition  of  the  Catechism  in  Latin 
was  published  in  1852  by  Dr.  L.  H.  Steiner,  a  member  of  the  committee. 


THE   GENERAL   SYNOD.  367 

was  specially  directed  during  the  Tercentenary  year 
were  the  organization  of  the  Board  of  Church  Extension 
— for  the  purpose  of  aiding  struggling  congregations 
in  the  work  of  erecting  church-buildings — the  founding 
of  Orphan  Homes,  the  extension  of  the  work  of  the 
Boards  of  Publication,  and,  last  but  not  least,  the 
organization  of  the  General  Synod.  The  formal  con- 
clusion of  the  festival  season  was  the  Convention  held 
in  Reading,  Pa.,  from  the  2ist  to  the  2$th  of  May,  1864. 
This  body  was  mainly  occupied  in  summing  up  the 
work  of  the  year,  but  at  the  same  time  offered  valuable 
suggestions  concerning  future  growth  and  advancement. 
The  results  of  the  Tercentenary  Celebration  may  even 
now  be  regarded  with  unmingled  satisfaction.  It  may, 
indeed,  be  said  that  in  the  most  inclement  season  of 
our  national  history  our  Church  put  forth  the,  blossoms 
whose  ripening  fruit  we  are  now  beginning  to  enjoy. 

THE    GENERAL   SYNOD. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  General  Synod  in  Grace 
Church,  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  on  the  i8th  of  November,  1863, 
certainly  constitutes  an  important  era  in  the  history  of 
the  Reformed  Church.  It  is  chiefly  owing  to  this  event 
that  the  German  branch  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  this 
country,  instead  of  being  broken  up  into  a  number  of 
"asteroidal  fragments,"  as  they  have  been  called  by  an 
eminent  divine,  has  become  a  single  organized  body 
which,  if  not  one  of  the  largest  denominations,  at  any 
rate  holds  an  honorable  position  for  numbers  and  in- 
fluence amonsf  the  churches  of  the  land. 


368  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

The  manner  in  which  the  General  Synod  came  to 
exist  was  somewhat  remarkable.  There  had  been,  since 
1844,  a  Triennial  Convention  composed  at  first  of  dele- 
gates from  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  and  the  two 
German  Reformed  Synods.  The  functions  of  this  body 
were  purely  advisory.  There  was,  indeed,  an  under- 
standing concerning  cooperation  in  the  work  of  Domes- 
tic Missions,  but  it  does  not  seem  to  have  led  to  import- 
ant practical  results.  The  Reformed  Dutch  Church 
having  withdrawn  from  the  Convention  after  its  second 
meeting,  it  was,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Synod  of  Ohio, 
continued  in  a  somewhat  modified  form  by  the  two 
German  Reformed  bodies.  Various  plans  were  sug- 
gested for  the  strengthening  of  the  bond,  until  at  last  in 
a  happy  hour  it  was  proposed  that  it  should  be  re- 
placed by  a  General  Synod.  The  subject  was  in  1860, 
referred  to  the  Cl-asses,  with  many  misgivings  as  to  the 
result;  but  the  awakening  enthusiasm  of  the  Church  for 
the  approaching  Tercentenary  carried  the  measure  by  a 
large  majority.  It  wa3  recognized  as  essential  to  the 
development  and  prosperity  of  the  Church,  and  subse- 
quent history  has  abundantly  proved  the  wisdom  of  the 
decision. 

Change  of  Title.  In  the  annals  of  the  colonial  period 
the  name  of  the  Church  rarely  appears.  Individual  con- 
gregations were  called  "Evangelical  Reformed"  or 
only  "  Reformed,"  and  the  ecclesiastical  body  was 
known  simply  as  "  The  Coetus  of  Pennsylvania."  On 
the  organization  of  the  Synod  a  more  distinctive  title 


CHANGE   OF   TITLE.  369 

became  necessary,  and  for  the  purpose  of  distinguish- 
ing it  from  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  the  term 
"  German  Reformed "  was  introduced.  As  long  as 
the  German  language  was  solely  employed  in  public 
worship,  the  name  had  a  certain  practical  value,  though 
it  was  recognized  as  unhistorical ;  but  as  the  use  of 
English  became  more  general,  its  influence  was  felt  to 
be  too  limiting  and  repressive.  It  was  argued  that 
the  word  "  German,"  as  used  in  the  official  title,  had 
a  tendency  to  retard  the  growth  of  the  church  in 
English  communities,  while  it  could  have  no  special 
value  for  the  German  churches,  inasmuch  as  their 
language  sufficiently  indicated  their  national  origin. 
On  the  other  hand,  there  were  many  excellent  people 
who  were  loath  to  part  with  a  name  which  had  become 
endeared  to  them  by  many  years  of  use,  and  which  was 
so  suggestive  of  an  honored  ancestry.  An  effort  was 
made  to  substitute  the  word  "  Evangelical "  for  "  Ger- 
man," but  it  proved  a  failure.  The  question  of  the  omis- 
sion or  retention  of  "  the  foreign  patrial  adjective " 
caused,  for  some  years,  considerable  discussion  in  both 
branches  of  the  Reformed  Church,  but  was  finally 
decided  by  both  in  the  same  way.  The  German  Re- 
formed Church  is  now  the  "  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States"  and  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  is  the 
"  Reformed  CJiufcJi  in  America"  a  difference  in  title  we 
conceive  to  be  purely  accidental.  The  most  recent  con- 
ference of  committees  on  the  subject  of  the  organic  union 

of  these  two  branches  of  the  Reformed  Church  was  held 
24 


3/O  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

in  Philadelphia  on  the  2<d  of  April  1888,  and  the  pros- 
pects of  ultimate  union  now  appear  exceedingly  promis- 
ing. The  chief  obstacle  in  the  way  of  union  has  hitherto 
been  the  difference  in  doctrinal  standards  to  which  we 
have  already  referred. 

The  Peace  Commission.  The  labors  of  the  commis- 
sion to  which,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  was  committed 
the  work  of  restoring  peace  to  the  churches,  which 
had  been  greatly  disturbed  by  the  long  controversies 
which  we  have  mentioned,  have  proved  so  eminently 
successful  that  they  should  always  be  remembered  with 
heartfelt  gratitude.  The  report  presented  by  this  Com- 
mission to  the  General  Synod  convened  in  Tiffin,  Ohio, 
in  1 88 1,  and  then  unanimously  adopted,  is  in  our  opinion 
a  document  of  great  historical  and  doctrinal  importance. 
It  deserves,  we  think,  to  be  rescued  from  the  compara- 
tive obscurity  of  the  files  of  the  Minutes  of  Synod,  and 
to  be  placed  within  easy  reference  of  ministers  and  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  by  whom  it  should  be  frequently 
and  carefully  studied.  The  report  is  as  follows: 

"  To  the  General  Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States: 

FATHERS  AND  BROTHERS  IN  THE  LORD: — The  Commission  author- 
ized by  the  action  of  the  General  Synod  at  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  A. 
D.,  1878,  and  constituted  by  the  concurrent  act  of  the  six  District  Syn- 
ods, in  the  spirit  and  interest  of  the  original  action,  met  and  organized 
in  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  26th  day  of  November,  A.  D.,  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy-nine,  as  directed : 

The  weighty  matters  entrusted  to  its  solemn  and  prayerful  deliberation 
by  the  Church,  were  considered  during  the  period  of  eight  days;  and 
after  having  arrived  at  a  unanimous  result,  under  the  manifest  guidance 
of  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  the  Commission  adjourned. 


THE    PEACE    COMMISSION.  3/1 

Your  Commissioners,  in  now  most  respectfully  reporting  their  action 
to  your  reverend  body  for  adoption,  venture  to  express  the  hope  that  a 
like  unanimity  may  characterize  its  endorsement  of  the  same,  as  a  basis 
to  a  solid  and  endurable  peace. 

In  order  to  the  restoration  and  maintenance  of  "  the  unity  of  the  Spirit 
in  the  bond  of  peace,  as  one  body  and  one  spirit,  even  as  we  are  called 
in  one  hope  of  our  calling,  one  Lord,  one  Faith,  one  Baptism,  one  God 
and  Father  of  all,  who  is  above  all,  and  through  all,  and  in  all ''  (Eph., 
iv.  3—6),  "it  seemed  good  unto  us,  being  assembled  with  one  accord" 
(Acts,  xv.  55),  in  the  light  vouchsafed  to  us  of  God,  to  subscribe  to  the 
following : 

I.    DOCTRINE. 

The  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States  unites  in  the  confession 
of  her  adherence  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  set  forth  in 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  taking  the  same  in  its  historical  (or  original) 
sense;  and  declares  that  any  departure  from  the  same  is  unauthorized  by 
the  Church ;  and  renewedly  directs  all  her  ministers,  editors  and  teach- 
ers of  theology,  "  faithfully  to  preach  and  defend  the  same." 

This  action  is  not  to  be  so  construed  as  to  forbid,  or  interfere  with,  that 
degree  of  freedom  in  Scriptural  and  theological  investigation  which  has 
always  been  enjoyed  in  the  Reformed  Church. 

In  presenting  the  above  as  a  basis  for  peace  in  the  Church,  we  are 
not  unmindful  of  the  fact  that  more  than  this  might  be  expected.  We 
believe  that  the  theological  contest  that  has  gone  forward  in  our  Church 
for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  with  earnestness  and  zeal,  has  resulted, 
now  that  it  has  substantially  come  to  a  close  as  we  hope,  in  bringing  the 
Church  to  a  deeper  apprehension  of  the  truth.  It  would  seem  proper, 
therefore,  that  an  attempt  should  be  made  to  summarize,  in  some  gen- 
eral way,  this  result.  We,  therefore,  submit  the  following,  as  embody- 
ing certain  points  on  which  this  Commission  is  able  to  harmonize,  and 
thus  contribute  towards  a  substantial  agreement  throughout  the  whole 
Church  in  the  peace  period  upon  which  we  are  now  entering : 

I.  We  recognize  in  Jesus  Christ  and  His  sacrifice  for  fallen  man,  the 
foundation  and  source  of  our  whole  salvation. 


3"2  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

II.  We  hold  that  the  Christian  life  is  begotten  in  us  by  the  Word  of 
God,  which  is  ever  living,  and  carries  in  itself  the  power  to  quicken  faith 
and  love  in  the  heart,  through  the  Holy  Ghost. 

III.  We  do  not  regard  the  visible  Church  as  commensurate  and  iden- 
tical with  the  invisible  Church,  according  to  the  Roman  theory,  nor  do 
we  think  that  in  this  world  the  invisible  Church  can  be  separated  from 
the  visible,  according  to   the  theory  of  Pietism  and  false  Spiritualism; 
but  while  we  do  not  identify  them,  we  do  not,  in  our  views,  separate  them. 

IV.  We  hold  that  in  the  use»  of  the  holy  sacraments  the  grace  signi- 
fied by  the  outward  signs  is  imparted  to  those  who  truly  believe,  but  that 
those  who  come  to  these  holy  sacraments  without  faith,  receive  only  the 
outward  elements  unto  condemnation. 

V.  We  have  come  to  a  clearer  apprehension  of  the  fact  that  the  Chris- 
tian life  is  something  broader  and  deeper  than  its  manifestations  in  con- 
scious experience. 

VI.  We  hold  the  doctrine  of  justification  through  true  faith  in  Jesus 

Christ,  according  to  which  only  the  satisfaction,  holiness  and  righteous- 

»  '.    ^ 

ness  of  Christ  is  our  righteousness  before  God,  and   that  we  can   not 

receive  and  apply  the  same  to  ourselves  in  any  other  way  than  by  faith 
only. 

VII.  We  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  ministerial  office,  according  to  which 
the  ministers  of  the  Church  are  not  lords  of  faith,  but  servants,  messen- 
gers, heralds,  watchmen  of  Christ,  co-workers  with  God,  preachers  of 
the  Word,  and  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God. 

VIII.  We  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  universal  priesthood  of  believers 
over  against  all  Romanizing  tendencies  to  priestly  power,  while  we  also 
assert  the  proper  recognition  of  the  ministerial  office  in  the  Church  of 
Christ. 

IX.  We  affirm  our  confidence  in  the  truth  of  Protestantism  over  against 
the  errors  of  Rome  on  the  one  hand,  and  against  the  errors  of  rational- 
ism and  infidelity  on  the  other. 

X.  All   philosophical   and    theological    speculations   (in    the   Church) 
should  be  held  in  humble  submission  to  the  Word  of  God,  which,  with 
its  heavenly  light,  should  illumine  and  guide  the  operations  and  researches 
of  reason. 


THE   PEACE    COMMISSION.  373 

II.  CULTUS. 

With  reference  to  cultus,  we  recommend  to  the  General  Synod,  at  its 
next  regular  meeting,  the  inauguration  of  measures  for  the  formation  of 
a  committee  properly  representing  the  different  Synods  and  the  various 
theological  tendencies  existing  in  the  Church,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to 
prepare  an  Order  of  Worship,  containing  such  offices  as  may  be  required 
for  the  services  of  the  Church,  the  said  committee  to  report  the  result 
of  its  labors,  as  soon  as  their  magnitude  and  importance  will  allow,  to 
the  General  Synod  for  approval  and  adoption,  as  required  by  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States. 

And  we  recommend  further,  that  pending  the  adoption  of  such  Order 
of  Worship,  the  various  Liturgies  now  in  use  in  the  Church  be  allowed 
in  public  worship,  provided  none  of  them  be  hereafter  introduced  into 
any  congregation  without  the  consent  of  a  majority  of  its  communicant 
members,  nor  when  (in  the  judgment  of  the  pastor  and  Consistory),  such 
introduction  wonld  be  injurious  to  the  best  interests  of  the  congregation ; 
and  that,  until  the  Church  shall  adopt  a  new  hymn-book  for  the  use  of 
all  its  congregations,  any  of  the  hymn-books  now  approved  by  one  or 
more  of  the  District  Synods,  may  be  used  by  any  particular  congregation 
in  public  worship. 

•  III.   GOVERNMENT. 

With  reference  to  Government  we  recommend : 

1.  That  all  the  judicatories  of -the  Church  be  requested,  in  the  appoint- 
ment of  their  Boards  and  Committees,  to  pay  regard  only  to  fitness  for 
the  position. 

2.  That  the  General  Synod,  as  soon  as  it  sees  its  way  clear  and  the 
general  peace  and  quietude  of  the  Church  sufficiently  established,  take 
the  proper  steps  for  a  thorough  revision  of  its  Constitution,  Rules,  and 
By-laws,  in  order : 

(a)  To  create  a  more  perfect  organic  relation  between  the  different 
judicatories  of  the  Church,  completing  themselves  in  their  head,  the  Gen- 
eral Synod. 

(i>)  To  provide  for  a  supervision  by  the  General  Synod  over  all  the 
theological  institutions  of  the  Church,  by  the  appointment  of  a  duly 
authorized  Committee  or  Board  of  Visitors,  empowered  at  any  time,  when 


374 


HISTORIC    MANUAL. 


deemed  necessary,  to  examine  into  the  doctrine,  cultus,  and  management 
of  said  institutions,  and  to  report  to  each  session  of  the  General  Synod; 
said  Board  of  Visitors,  however,  not  to  interfere  with  any  arrangement  or 
authority  of  the  respective  District  Synods,  or  their  boards  or  committees. 

(<•)  To  provide  some  mode  by  which  all  cases  of  appeal,  involving 
only  facts  and  individual  disputes,  shall  be  excluded  from  the  General 
Synod,  so  that  such  only  as  relate  to  controversies  on  doctrine,  cultus,  and 
constitutional  construction  may  be  brought  for  a  final  hearing  before  that 
body. 

And  we  recommend  further,  that  the  General  Synod  be  requested  to 
direct  the  attention  of  the  Church  at  large  to  the  importance  of  an  undi- 
vided effort  for  her  extension,  and  to  engage  diligently  and  zealously  in 
the  work  of  Missions,  looking  forward  to  a  more  concentrated  and  co- 
operative action  in  that  direction  in  the  future. 

In  testimony  whereof  we,  the  Commissioners,  representing  the  differ- 
ent Synods  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  hereunto 
subscribe  our  names,  at  Harrisburg,  Pennsylvania,  this  third  day  of  De- 
cember, in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  seventy- 
nine. 

Elders.  Synods. 

DANIEL  W.  GROSS,  Synod  in 

WILLIAM  H.  SEIBERT,         -  the  United 

RUDOLPH  F.  KELKER,       J  States. 

ANDREW  H.  BAUGHMAN,  ->  Synod 

BENJAMIN  KUHNS,              I  of  Ohio. 

FREDERICK  W.  SCHEELE,  •>  Synod  of  the 

HENRY  TONS,                     J  Northwest. 

CHRISTIAN  M.  BOUSH,       -j  Synod 
THOMAS  J.  CRAIG, 


Ministers. 

CLEMENT  Z.  WEISER, 
THOMAS  G.  APPLE, 
FRANKLIN  W.  KREMER, 
JEREMIAH  H.  GOOD, 
LEWIS  H.  KEFAUVER, 
HERMAN  J.  RUETENIK, 
PETER  GREDING, 
JOHN  M.  TITZEL, 
JOSEPH  H.  APPLE, 

SAMUEL  N.  CALLENDER, 
G.  WILLIAM  WELKER, 


JOHN  KUELLING, 


HENRY  WIRT, 
LEWIS  H.  STEINER. 

WILLIAM  D.  GROSS, 


)   of  Pittsburg. 

•»       Synod  of 
/  the  Potomac. 
C  German  Syn. 
\   of  the  East." 


We  are   not  surprised   that  on   the  adoption   of  this 


ZWINGLI    FESTIVALS.  375 

report — so  fraught  with  blessings  to  the  churches — the 
General  Synod  rose  to  its  feet  and  sang  with  one  voice 
the  grand  old  doxology:  "Praise  God  from  whom 
all  blessings  flow!" 

Alliance  of  Reformed  Churches.  At  the  meetings  of  the 
"Alliance  of  the  Reformed  Churches  holding  the  Pres- 
byterian system,"  convened  in  Philadelphia  in  1880,  and 
in  Belfast,  Ireland,  in  1884,  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States  was  well  represented.  On  these  occasions 
papers  were  read  by  several  of  our  ministers.  The  Alli- 
ance includes  delegates  from  most  of  the  Reformed 
Churches  throughout  the  world,  and  will  no  doubt 
accomplish  great  good,  not  only  in  bringing  nearer  to- 
gether the  scattered  members  of  the  same  historical  con- 
fession, but  in  promoting  the  great  cause  of  Christian 
unity.  • 

Zwingli  Festivals.  The  year  1884  was  rendered 
memorable  in  many  Reformed  Churches,  by  the  celebra- 
tion of  the  4OOth  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  the  Re- 
former, Ulric  Zwingli.  These  delightful  festivals  are 
still  fresh  in  the  memory  of  our  readers,  so  that  we  need 
not  enlarge  upon  them.  It  will  be  remembered  how  the 
people  on  these  occasions  thronged  the  churches,  and 
listened  with  delighted  attention  to  the  fascinating  story 
of  the  Swiss  hero.  The  Providence  of  God,  as  illus- 
trated in  the  continued  existence  of  the  Church  in  whose 
early  history  Zwingli  occupies  so  prominent  a  position, 
filled  many  Christian  hearts  with  responsive  gratitude. 
It  is  indeed,  marvelous  that  the  natal-day  of  a  man  who 


37$  HISTORIC    MANUAL. 

was  born  before  the  discovery  of  America,  in  an  obscure 
village  of  an  obscure  land,  should  still  be  enthusiastic- 
ally celebrated.  It  illustrates  the  dying  words  of  that 
great  man  in  a  manner  which  he  never  anticipated: 
"  They  may  kill  the  body,  but  they  cannot  kill  the 
soul!," 

CONCLUSION. 

When  a  weary  pilgrim  approaches  the  end  of  his 
journey,  he  finds  it  pleasant  to  rest  awhile  on  some  com- 
manding eminence,  and  to  look  back  over  the  road  on 
which  he  has  traveled.  He  does  not  forget  his  toils  and 
trials,  but  it  is  with  special  pleasure  that  he  remembers 
the  clear  fountains  and  shady  groves  which  refreshed 
him  by  the  way.  So,  when  we  contemplate  the  history 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  we  behold 
some  things  which  we  regret,  but  there  are  more  which 
call  for  devout  gratitude.  It  is  not  without  pain  that  we 
recall  the  "  lost  churches ;"  that  we  remember  how  in 
great  cities  and  extensive  districts  of  country,  where  our 
Church  was  once  hopefully  founded,  it  is  now  almost 
unknown.  When  we  contemplate  the  immense  work 
which,  as  a  Christian  denomination,  we  are  especially 
called  to  perform,  we  think  it  would  have  been  better  if 
so  many  of  our  brethren  had  not  departed  from  us  in 
our  days  of  trial.  The  larger  denominations,  with  which 
they  generally  became  identified,  could  have  flourished 
without  them,  while  in  the  Church  of  their  fathers  they 
might  have  accomplished  a  grand  and  glorious  work. 
It  is,  however,  pleasant  to  know  that,  in  some  instances 


CONCLUSION.  377 

at  least,  the  fields  which  were  once  ours  are  well  culti- 
vated, though    not   by  the    descendants    of  those   who 
.  reclaimed  them  from  the  wilderness. 

"  Yes !    Though  a  stranger  must  receive  them, 

For  blessings  still  to  Heaven  we  call ; 
Thy  dews,  O  Lord !     Thy  rain  and  sunshine, 

In  Thine  own  season,  grant  them  all!" 

We  profoundly  regret  that  in  the  Reformed  Church 
in  the  United  States  so  many  years  elapsed  before 
the  importance  of  the  work  of  missions  was  properly 
appreciated ;  and  that,  even  now,  we  fall  short  of  our 
duty  in  this  respect.  Hundreds  of  churches  have  been 
formed  out  of  our  material  by  other  denominations  ;  and 
this  work  is  still  going  on,  especially  among  the  recent 
immigrants  from  the  Fatherland.  No  one  is  able  to  do 
this  work  as  well  as  we,  who  are  already  allied  to  this 
people  by  the  ties  of  kindred  and  a  common  faith.  I.t  is, 
therefore,  not  only  the  duty  but  the  privilege  of  every 
minister  and  member  of  the  Reformed  Church  to  labor 
with  might  and  main  in  the  work  to  which  we  appear 
to  be  especially  called.  It  has  been  said  that  the  des- 
tinies of  the  world  are  in  the  hands  of  those  who  labor. 
If  we  were  as  earnest,  active,  and  laborious  as  we  ought 
to  be,  it  would  be  easy  to  extend  our  borders,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  bring  a  new  tribute  to  our  blessed  Lord. 

While  we  regret  the  errors  of  the  past,  we  are  pro- 
foundly grateful  for  the  blessings  we  have  enjoyed.  Our 
forefathers  came  to  this  country  poor  exiles,  many  of 
them  dependent  for  a  time  upon  the  bounty  of  strangers. 


HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

Earlier  settlers  had  generally  chosen  land  .which  was 
easily  cleared,  so  that  the  Germans  were  compelled  to 
attack  the  forests  which  .occupied  the  interior  of  the 
country.  The  result  proved  that  the  soil  which  had 
sustained  great  trees  was  best  suited  for  agricultural 
purposes,  but  who  can  form  an  adequate  conception  of 
the  toil  and  privation  which  the  task  of  clearing  it  in- 
volved ?  For  years  the  Germans  dwelt  in  comparative 
solitude,  exposed  to  the  attacks  of  hostile  savages. 
Industry  and  economy  made  them  rich,  and  the 
descendants  of  the  poor  "  Palatines  "  have  come  to  enjoy 
a  degree  of  temporal  prosperity  of  which  their  fathers 
never  dreamed. 

When  the  German  pioneers  began  to  erect  their  little 
forest  chapels,  the  churches  of  New  England  had  already 
enjoyed  a  prosperous  history  of  more  than  a  hundred 
years ;  and  even  in  Pennsylvania  several  English  denom- 
inations, though  considerably  more  recent,  were  firmly 
established.  The  Germans,  as  we  have  seen,  had  few 
traditions  in  common.  Those  of  them  who  belonged 
to  the  Reformed  Church  had  been  members  of  the  es- 
tablished churches  of  several  European  countries,  and 
had  not  been  trained  to  habits  of  Christian  benevolence. 
Years  passed  before  they  could  be  moulded  to  a  compact 
body,  and  it  was  much  longer  till  they  acquired  the  de- 
nominational spirit  which  in  this  country  is  necessary  to 
prosperity,  if  not  essential  to  continued  existence.  It  is, 
however,  a  remarkable  fact  that  since  the  establishment 
of  its  Theological  Seminaries,  the  Reformed  Church  has 


CONCLUSION.  379 

grown  with  unexampled  rapidity.  In  the  past  twenty- 
five  years  the  numbers  of  its  ministry  and  membership 
have  more  than  doubled.  But  this  is  not  all.  The  prom- 
inent position  taken  by  the  Reformed  Church  in  Theo- 
logic  science  during  this  period  has  been  very  generally 
acknowledged,  and  we  are  but  repeating  the  words  of  a 
distinguished  divine1  of  a  sister  denomination  when  we 
say,  that  "there  is  no  church  in  the  land  which  has  pro- 
duced a  larger  number  of  well-trained  theologians." 

What  now  is  our  prospect  for  future  growth  and  ad- 
vancement? We  answer  that  it  was  never  so  promising 
as  it  is  to-day.  The  Reformed  Church  is  no  more  to  be 
regarded  as  foreign  or  provincial,  and  her  doctrines  need 
only  to  be  known  to  be  commended.  Her  firmness  in 
the  maintenance  of  Christian  truth,  conjoined  with  the 
abundant  charity  with  which  she  regards  all  other 
branches  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  cannot  fail  to  gain  re- 
sponsive sympathy.  With  her  glorious  history,  her 
broad  but  comprehensive  standards  of  faith,  and  her  sim- 
ple but  devout  worship,  there  is  surely  no  reason  why 
multitudes  of  wanderers  should  not  accept  from  the 
Reformed  Church  the  home  which  she  so  freely  offers. 

The  work  of  Missions,  which  has  already  proved  so 
successful,  is  hardly  more  than  begun.  It  has,  indeed, 
been  asserted  that  the  number  of  members  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  who  are  scattered  like  lost  sheep  through- 
out the  vast  expanse  of  our  country  is  greater  than  that 

1The  late  Rev.  Dr.  C.  P.  Krauth,  in  conversation  with  the  author, 


380  HISTORIC   MANUAL. 

of  those  who  have  already  been  gathered  into  her  con- 
gregations. English  and  German  churches  might  readily 
be  established  in  many  places  if  we  could  supply  them 
with  pastors  and  had  means  to  sustain  them  for  a  few 
years,  until  they  become  strong  enough  to  help  them- 
selves and  others.  Our  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  French, 
Bohemians,  Hungarians  and  Russians,  many  of  whom 
are  members  of  our  Church,  have  hitherto  been  imper- 
fect and  unsatisfactory,  but  among  all  these  nationalities 
there  is  room  for  successful  labor.  "  The  harvest  truly  is 
great,  but  the  laborers  are  few :  pray  ye  therefore  the 
Lord  of  the  harvest  that  He  would  send  forth  laborers 
into  His  harvest." 

It  is  a  precious  privilege  to  be  a  member  of  the 
Church  whose  fortunes  we  have  attempted  to  delineate. 
"  Noble  descent,"  it  has  been  said,  "  should  be  a  pledge 
of  exalted  deeds."  When  the  children  of  the  Reformed 
Church  become  familiar  with  her  brilliant  history,  when 
they  sincerely  love  the  truth  for  which  the  martyrs  died, 
can  they  fail  to  be  moved  to  deeds  of  high  and  holy 
activity  ? 

One  of  the  most  ancient  emblems  of  the  Reformed 
Church  represents  a  lily  blooming  in  the  midst  of  thorns. 
Even  in  the  history  of  the  Church  in  the  United  States 
the  truth  which  it  conveys  has  been  fully  exemplified. 
Through  trials  innumerable  she  is  gradually  coming 
forth  into  the  sunlight  and  putting  forth  beautiful  flowers. 
There  will  be  troubles  in  the  future  as  in  the  past,  but 
He  who  has  preserved  us  hitherto  will  guide  us  safely  to 
the  end. 


APPENDIX. 


1.  NECROLOGY. 

2.  MEETINGS  OF  SYNODS. 

3.  COMPARATIVE  STATISTICS. 


NECROLOGY. 


1709-1885. 

ABBREVIATIONS:  B.  or  b.,  signifies  born ;  d.,died;  ed.,  educated; 
stud.,  studied;  Grad..  graduated;  col.,  college;  Theol.  Sem.,  Theolog- 
ical Seminary;  ab.,  about ;  lie.,  licensed;  ord.,  ordained;  past.,  pastor; 
miss.,  missionary  or  mission;  sup.,  supply  or  supplied;  cli.  or  chg., 
church  or  charge;  Cl.,  classis;  Syn.,  synod;  w.  c.,  without  charge; 
Ref.  D.,  Reformed  Dutch;  Presb.,  Presbyterian,  or  presbytery;  P.  E., 
Protestant  Episcopal ;  M.  Col.,  Marshall  College ;  F.  and  M.  Col.,  Frank- 
lin and  Marshall  College;  Heid.  Col.,  Heidelberg  College;  Ger., 
Germany;  Switz..  Switzerland.  Other  abbreviations  will,  we  think,  be 
readily  understood.  Variations  in  the  orthography  of  surnames  are 
given  in  brackets. 

JOHN  ACKEHET,  b.  Canton  of  Thurgau,  Switz.,  Feb.  22,  1824;  d.  Millersburg, 

O  ,  Sept.  15,  1869.     Lie.  1849;  ord.  1850.     Past.  Mount  Eaton  chg.,  C.,  i85o-'69. 
JOHN  D.  AQAMS,  b.  Hesse,  Ger.     Past.  Sunbury,  Pa.,  Middlo  Creek,  etc.,  1808- 

ab.  1813.     Deposed  1813. 
CHARLES  H.  ALBERT,  b.  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  1824;  d.  Texas,  1869.     Grad.  M. 

C.,  1848.   Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersbnrg,  1851.    Lie.  1851 ;  ord.  1852.    Pres.  CatawbaCol., 

N.  C.     Entered  P.  E.  Ch.     Author  of  "  Youth's  Phantasies,"  Chambersburg,  1847. 
JOHN  E.  ALBERT,  b.  17— ;  d.  York  Springs,  Pa.,  1856.     Lie.  ab.  1818;  ord.  ab. 

1819.    Past.  St.  John's  ch.,  York  CO.,  and  Zion  and  Salem,  in  Adams  co.,  Pa.,  iSig-'sa. 
GEORGE  M.  ALBRIGHT,  b.  Maytown,  Lancaster  co.,  Pa.,  April  3,  1829;  d. 

New   Lisbon,  O.,   Feb.  22,   1879.  •  Theol.    Sem.,  Lancaster.     Lie.  1861 ;    ord.  1864. 

Allen   co.    mission,   O.,   i864-'66.     Past.   Tarlton  chg.  i866-'68;    New    Lisbon,  O., 

i863-'77;  Wilton  chg.,  Iowa,  1877-' 78. 
JACOB  ALLEBORN,  lie.    1844,   "Free    Syn."     Miss.,   Kensington   and   Rising 

Sun,  1837;  Bath,  Pa.,  1838.     Name  erased,  1843. 
CHARLES  L.  A.   ALLARDT,    received   1833,   West   Penn.   CI.   from    Europe. 

Past.  1834,  Columbiana  co.,  Ohio;  then  at  Cleveland  and  Delaware,  O.     Name  dis- 
appears from  minutes,  1845. 
JOHN  GEORGE  ALSENTZ,  b.    Palatinate,   Ger.;   d,  Montgomery    co.,  Pa., 

1769.     Ed.   at   Heidtlbei-g.     Ord.   by  Synods  of  Holland.    Came  to  America  1757. 

Past.  Germantown,   f;  .,   :758-'62;   Wentz's,    Boehm's  etc.,  Montgomery  co.,    Pa., 
Sup.  Amwell,  N.  J  ,  1760. 

(382) 


NECROLOGY.  383 

J.  B.  AL.TERMATT,  stud.  Freiburg,  Switz.     Received   minor  orders   in   R.   C. 

Church.     Member  of  Cl.  of  Erie,  1843,  and  past,  at  Sheldon,  N.  Y. 
JOHN  AL.THOTJSE  (Althaus),  lie.  Free  Syn.,  1825;   ord.    1826.     Past.   Indiana, 

Armstrong,  Jefferson,  and  Clearfield  cos.,  Pa.,  i826-'45;  Niagara  and  Erie  cos.,  N. 

Y.,  and  Black  Creek,  Canada,  1845. 
WILLIAM  AMDYKE  (Amdicken),   lie.   and  ord.,   Cl.  of  E.  Pa.,  1821.     Past. 

Huntingdon  co.,  Pa.,  1826.     Without  charge,  1834. 

HENRY  ANTES,  b.  1701,  probably  at  Freinsheim,  Rhenish  Bavaria;  died,  Fred- 
erick twp.,  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  July  20,  1755.  See  p.  190. 

JOHN  ARDUESER,  b.  Graubiinden,  Switz.,  1844;  d.  May  17,  1874.  Ed.  as  a 
schoolmaster.  Taught  in  Italy.  Came  to  America,  1866.  Stud.  Theol.  Inst.  of  the 
Evangelical  Synod  of  the  N.  W.,  1868.  Lie.  1869,  Syn.  of  Ohio.  Ord.  by  Iowa  Cl. 
Past.  Plainfield  and  Charles  City,  Iowa,  i86g-'7i  ;  Linton,  Ind.,  i87i-'72.  Died 
while  on  a  visit  to  Switzerland. 

JOHN  ATJL.T,  b.  Annville,  Lebanon  co.,  Pa.,  April  i,  1836;  d.  Littlestown,  Pa., 
July  26,  1880.  F.  and  M.  Col.,  1857;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1858.  Lie.  1858, 
Cl.  of  Lebanon ;  ord.  1858,  Cl.  of  Zion.  Past.  Trindle  Spring  chg.,  iSsS-'sg ;  Lou- 
don  and  St.  Thomas,  i8s9-'63  ;  Mechanicsburg,  Pa.,  i863*-73;  Christ  ch.,  Littles- 
town,  etc.,  i873-'8o.  Author  of  several  historical  pamphlets. 

HENRY  AURAND,  b.  Reading,  Pa.,  Oct.  4,  1806;  d.  Lena,  Stephenson  co.,  111., 
Oct.  8,  1876.  Stud.  Dickinson  Col.  and  Princeton  Theol.  Sem.  Sup.  Presb.  ch  , 
Taneytown,  Md.,  i833-*34.  Pastor  Ref.  ch.,  Carlisle,  Pa.,  i834-'4g.  Afterwards 
at  Sulphur  Springs,  New  Berlin,  New  York  City,  and  Columbia,  Herkimer  co.,  N.  Y. 
Removed  to  Illinois,  sup.  Astoria,  Fulton  Co.,  and  other  vacant  charges. 

JOHN  DIETRICH  AURANDT,  b.  Maiden  Creek,  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  8, 
1760;  d.  Huntingdon  co.  Pa.,  April  24,  1831.  Soldier  in  the  Revolution,  i778-'8i. 
For  many  years  engaged  in  secular  employments.  Licensed  to  exhort  by  "  United 
Brethren  in  Christ."  Applied  to  Synod  U.  S.  for  licensure,  1801  ;  but  directed  to 
prosecute  his  studies.  Lie.  1806;  and  ord.  1809.  Past.  Buffalo  Valley;  Huntingdon 
co.,  1804-' 30. 

DOMINICUS  BARTHOLOMAEUS,  came  to  America,  1748.  Past.  Tulpe- 
hocken,  i748-'57.  For  several  years  a  great  sufferer.  In  1759  Coetus  made  an  ap- 
propriation for  his  relief. 

HENRY  S.  BASSLER,  b.  Lower  Milford,  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  it,  1804;  d. 
Millersburg,  Pa.,  Feb.  17,  1883.  Preceptor,  Rev.  J.  W.  Dechant.  Theol.  Sem., 
Carlisle,  Pa.,  1827-' 29.  Lie.  by  Synod  U.  S.,  1829.  Past.  Beaver  Dam,  Snyder  co., 
i829-'33;  Hilltown,  Bucks  co.,  etc.,  18 .  3-*43  ;  Lykens  Valley,  i843-'5i ;  Millers- 
town,  Lehigh  co.,  etc.,  1851-' 54;  Lykens  Valley  (second  time),  i854-'s6;  Pleasant 
Grove,  Ind,  1856-' 58;  Forreston,  111.,  iS^S-'sg  ;  Berrysburg,  Pa.,  i859-'65;  Zions- 
ville,  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  i865~'7i ;  Hegins,  i87i-'77. 

JOHN  BAUMUNK,  b.  Reichenbach,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Ger.,  Feb.  15,  1824;  died 
Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Sept.  16,  1857.  Came  to  Penna.  with  his  parents,  1837.  Preceptor, 
Rev.  J.  G.  Zahner,  D.  D.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Miami  Cl.,  1852.  Pastor  Poland,  O., 
1852;  Millville,  O.,  1852  ;  Seymour,  Jackson  co.,  Iowa,  1856. 

JOHN  AD.  BAYER,  b.  in  Rhine  Bavaria.  Reed,  by  West  Pa.  Cl.,  1831.  Past 
Youngstown,  1831-' 33;  Meadville,  1833-  ab.  '36;  Dansville,  N.  Y.,  ab.  i836-'44; 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  1845. 

JACOB  BEAR  (Baer),  b.  — ,  Pa.,  Mar.  4,  1810;  d.  West  Point,  Iowa,  Feb.  I,  185^. 
Theol.  Sem.,  1835.  Lie.  and  ord.  1836.  Past.  Spring  Mills,  Centre  co.,  Pa.,  1836  . 


5  04  NECROLOGY. 

Oxford,   Adams   co.,  1837;    Shanesville,  O.,  1840;    West   Point,   Lee    co.    la.,  ab. 


FREDERICK  BECHER,  b.  Ger., —.  Past.  Shrewsbury,  York  co.,  Pa.,  1836; 
Wilkesbarre,  1838 ;  later  at  Bloomfield,  Perry  co.  Name  disappears  from  minutes, 
1840. 

JOHN  BECHTEL,  b.  Bergstrasse,  Pal.,  Ger.,  Oct.  3,  1690;  d.  Bethlehem,  Pa., 
Apr.  16,  1777.  Came  to  Pa.,  1726.  Began  to  preach  irregularly  at  Germantown,  Pa., 
in  1728;  regularly  calkd,  1733.  In  1742  ord.  a  Reformed  minister  in  the  "Congre- 
gation of  God  in  the  Spirit."  See  page  194. 

JOHN  BECK,  D.  D.,  b.  York,  Pa.,  Apr.  10,  1830;  d.  Easton,  Pa.,  Apr.  19,  1877. 
M.  C.,  1848;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1850.  Lie.  by  Synod,  1850;  ord.  same 
year,  by  Maryland  Cl.  Past.  Funkstown,  Md.,  1850-' 54;  Easton,  Pa.,  1854-' 77. 
President  of  Synod  U.  S.  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

CHRISTIAN  LUBWIG  BECKER,  D.  D.,  b.  Anhalt  Cothen,  Ger.,  Nov.  17, 
1756;  d.  Baltimore,  Md.,  July  12,  1818.  Stud,  at  Cothen  and  Halle.  Can<tidtitus 
Theologies,  Bremen,  i779~'93.  Published  sermons  and  theological  works.  Came  to 
America,  1793.  Ord.  1794.  Past.  Easton,  etc.,  i794~'95;  Lancaster,  Pa.,  1795-1806; 
Baltimore,  Md.,  i8o6-'i8.  Author  of  "  Sammlung  Geistreicher  Predigten,"  Balti- 
more, 1810. 

JACOB  CHRISTIAN  BECKER,  D,  D.,  son  of  the  preceding;  b.  Bremen, 
Ger.,  Jan.  14,  1790;  d.  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  Aug.  18,  1858.  Came  to  America  with  his 
parents,  1793.  Stud.  Franklin  Col.,  Lancaster,  and  with  his  father.  Lie.  and  ord., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1808.  Past.  Manchester,  Md.,  i8o8-'n;  Allen,  Moore,  etc.,  Northamp- 
ton co.,  Pa.,  i8n-'s8.  See  page  287. 

JACOB  BEECHER,  b.  near  Petersburg,  Adams  co.,  Pa.,  May  2,  1799  ;  d.  Shep- 
herdstown,  Va.,  July  15,  1831.  Grad.  Jefferson  Col.,  Canonsburg,  Pa.,  1824.  Theol. 
Sem.,  Princeton,  N.  J.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Synod  U.  S.,  1826.  Pastor  Shepherdstown, 
Martinsburg,  and  Smithfield,  Va.,  i826-'3i.  See  page  283. 

AUGUSTUS  L.  W.  BEGEM  AN,  b.  Bremerhohe,  Hanover,  Ger.,  July  14,  1810  ; 
d.  Columbus,  O.,  Sept.  4,  1848.  Stud.  Gymnasium  of  Emden.  Read  Theol.  pri- 
vately in  Germany  and  Holland.  Came  to  America,  1833.  French  teacher  at  Wash- 
ington Col.,  Pa.,  i833-'34.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Classis  of  West  Pa.,  1834.  Past.  Wash- 
ington co.,  Pa.,  i834-'36 ;  Orangeville,  O.,  .836-*4o;  Wooster,  O.,  1840-' 43;  Colum- 
bus, O.,  i843-'45;  Mansfield,  O.,  i845-'47. 

FREDERICK  P.  BEIDLER.  Stud  M.  C.  Miss.,  Patton,  Mo.,  1850.  En- 
tered Ref.  D.  Ch.,  1854.  Past.  South  Bend,  Ind.,  i854-'s5. 

WILLIAM  CROSBY  BENNET,  b.  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  Apr.  14,  1804 ;  d.  Boil- 
ing Springs,  Cumberland  co.,  Pa.,  April  12,  1870.  Theol.  Sem.,  York.  Lie.  and 
ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1832.  Miss,  to  North  and  South  Carolina,  i832-'34.  Past.  David- 
son co.,  N.  C.,  i834-*37;  Shippensburg,  Pa.,  1837-' 39;  Newville,  Lisbon,  etc.,  1839- 
'44;  East  Berlin  and  Oxford,  1844-' 46.  Sup.  churches  in  Cumberland  co.,  Pa., 
1846-' 49 ;  Liverpool,  Perry  co.,  1849 ;  Cumberland  co.,  1849-' 50.  Agt.  for  church 
periodicals  i854-*7o. 

CHRISTIAN  BERENTZ,  b.  Baltimore,  Md.,  ab.  1794;  d.  Giandview,  Wash- 
ington co.,  O.,  March  23,  1879.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Synod  U.  S.,  1829.  Past.  Johnstown, 
etc.,  Pa.,  i829-'42.  Removed  1842  to  Hillsboro,  Highland  co.,  O.,  and  then  to 
Grandview.  Without  regular  pastoral  charge,  but  made  extensive  missionary  jour- 
neys. 

JOSEPH  F.  BERG,  D.  D.,  b.  June  3,  1812,  Antigua,  West  Indies,  where  his 


NECROLOGY.  385 

parents  were  Moravian  missionaries  ;  d.  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  July  20,  1871.  Stud. 
in  England  aud  at  "  Moravian  Seminary."  Called  to  the  pastorate  of  Salem's  Re- 
formed church,  Harrisburg,  1835.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Synod  U.  S.,  1836.  Past.  Harris- 
burg,  Pa.,  1836.  Prof,  of  Ancient  Languages,  M.  Col.,  i836-'37-  Past.  First  Ref. 
ch.,  Phila.,  1837-' 52.  Entered  Ref.  D.  Church.  Past,  at  Seventh  and  Brown 
sts.,  Phila.,  and  Prof,  in  the  Theol.  Sem.,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  Editor  of  "  Prot- 
estant Quarterly,"  and  author  of  "  Christian  Landmarks,"  etc. 

ABRAHAM  BERKY  (Bergs'),  b.  Pa.,  1806;  d.  New  York  City,  Aug.  i,  1867. 
Lie.,  Free  Synod  of  Pa.,  1828;  ord.  by  the  same  body,  1830.  Past.  Flatland,  etc., 
Bucks  co.,  Pa.,  iS30-'34.  Agt.  for  Sunday-school  Union,  1834.  Past.  Berks  co., 
Pa.;  Northampton  co.  ;  Wilkcsbarre,  Pa.;  Hilltown,  Pa.;  Dansville,  N.  Y.;  Ro- 
chester, N.  Y. ;  Detroit,  Michigan.  Dismissed  to  Ref.  D.  Ch.,  1852.  Pastor  ad  Ger. 
Ref.  D.  ch.,  New  York  city,  i872-'65.  . 

HERMAN  BEUSSEL,  b.  Germany,  1820;  d.  W.lliamsburg,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  13, 
1849.  Stud.  Mission  Institute,  Langenberg,  ntar  Elberfeld,  Prussia.  Lie.  and  ord., 
CI.  of  N.  Y.,  1848.  Past.  Williamsburg,  N.  Y.,  1848-' 49. 

HENRY  BIBIGHAUS,  D.  D.,  b.  Bedminster,  Bucks  co.  Pa.,  Aug.  2,  1777;  d. 
Phiia.,  Aug.  20,  1851.  Organist  and  teacher,  Lehigh  co.,  and  afterwards  in  Race  St. 
congregation,  Phila.  Preceptor,  Dr.  Samuel  Helfenstein.  Lie.  and  ord.,  "  Free 
Synod,"  1824.  Past.  Salem's  ch.,  Phila.,  i824-*5i. 

FREDERICK  W.  B1NDEMAN,  b.  Germany.  Preceptor,  Rev.  J.  W.  De- 
chant.  Lie.,  Synod  U.  S.,  1824.  Ord.  ab.  1825.  Past.  Hanover,  Christ  ch.,  and 
Lischy's,  York  co.,  Pa.,  1826.  Susp.  1827.  Deposed  1828. 

JOHN  BIPPUS,  b.  Boll,  Wurtemberg,  Ger.,  June  2,  1815  ;  d.  Leesville,  O.,  May 
21,  1872.  Came  to  America,  1837.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Tiffin  Cl.,  1864.  Past.  Gallon, 
O.,  i864-'68. 

BITTHAHN.     See  Pithan. 

JAMES  BLACK,  Presbyterian  minister,  received  1834  by  Cl.  of  Maryland.  In 
1839  returned  to  the  Presb.  Ch.  Died  1860,  at  Shepherdstown,  Va. 

ABRAHAM  BLUMER,  b.  Graps,  Switzerland,  Dec.  25,  1736;  d.  Lehigh  co.,  Pa., 
April  23,  1822.  Stud,  at  Basel.  Ord.  17  =  6.  Chaplain  to  a  Swiss  regiment  in  the 
Sardinian  service,  i757-'£6.  Asst.  pastor  and  teacher,  1766-' 70.  Sent  to  America  in 
1770  by  the  Synods  of  Holland.  Past.  Allentown,  Pa.,  Egypt,  etc.,  1771-1801.  De- 
clined a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  French  Ref.  ch.  of  N.  Y. 

CHARLES  LOUI$  BOEHME  (Boehin),  b.  Ger.  ;  d.  ab.  1786.  Came  to  Amer- 
ica 1770,  with  Rev.  A.  Blumer.  Preached  French  in  Phila.  Past.  Lancaster,  Pa., 
1771-' 75;  Hanover,  i775-'8i  ;  Baltimore,  Md.,  i78i-'82.  Secretary  of  Coetus,  1772. 

JOHN  PHILIP  BOKHM,  b.  Palatinate,  Ger.,  — ;  d.  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  May 
i,  1749.  Earliest  Reformed  preacher  in  Pa.  See  page  166. 

F.MANUEL  C.  BOEHRINGER,  b.  Buergach,  Wurtemberg,  Ger.,  May  29, 1823; 
d.  Bridesburg,  Phila.,  Oct.  25,  1864.  Came  to  America  ab.  1858.  Stud.  Theol.  pri- 
vately. Lie.  Cl.  of  Phil.,  1859.  Ord.  Synod  U.  S.,  1859.  Ger.  missionary  Norfolk 
and  Richmond,  Va.,  i86i-'63.  Removed  to  Phila  1863.  Founded  the  Orphans' 
Home  at  Bridesburg — since  removed  to  Womelsdorf,  Berks  Co. — and  remained  in 
charge  until  his  death.  Established  and  edited  the  "  Laemmer-Hirte." 

FREDERICK  W.  BOETT1CHER,  b.  Prussia.  Ord.  in  Europe.  Received, 
Synod  of  Ohio,  1835.  Past.  Captain's  Creek,  Belmont  co..  O.,  1835 -'39.  Name  dis- 
appears from  the  minutes,  1840. 


336 


NECROLOGY. 


GEORGE  BOGER,  b.  Rowan  co.,  N.  C.,  Dec.  15,  1782  ;  d.  Cabarrus  Co.,  N.  C., 
June  19,  1865.  Preceptors,  Samuel  Weyberg  and  Andrew  Loretz.  Ord.  1803.  Past. 
Rowan  and  Cabarrus  co.'s,  N.  C.,  i8o3~'3o.  Preached  also  in  South  Carolina,  and 
supplied  a  part  of  his  charge  after  his  resignation.  Lived  many  years  in  retirement. 

HERMAN  BOKUM,  b.  Konigsberg,  Prussia,  Jan.  2,  1807;  d.  Germantown,  Pa., 
Aug.  5,  1878.  Ed.  in  Europe.  Came  to  America,  1825.  Prof,  of  German  and  French 
in  University  of  Pa.  Lie.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1842.  Ord.  Cl.  of  Lebanon,  1843.  Past.  Co- 
lumbia and  Marietta,  Pa.,  i843-'44.  Removed  to  Cincinnati,  and  in  1855  to  Kn  'x- 
ville,  Tenn.  Chaplain  in  the  army,  and  Commissioner  of  Immigration  for  Tennessee. 
Past.  German  ch.,  Atlanta,  Ga.,  i869-'73.  Returned  to  Phila.,  andiengaged  in  mis- 
sionary labor.  Published  "  German  Grammar,"  and  a  German  translation  of  Mc- 
Ilvaine's  "  Evidences  of  Christianity." 

WILLIAM  WILSON  BONNEL,  b.  1819;  d  1850.  Reed,  from  Presb.  Ch.,  Cl. 
of  Mercersburg,  1842.  Past  Chambersburg,  iS42-'44.  Dism.  to  Presbyterian  Church. 

WILLIAM  BOOS.  Arrived  from  Europe,  1771.  Pastor  Reading,  Pa.,  i77i-'82; 
also  in  1789.  Preached  at  various  times  in  a  number  of  churches  in  Berks  Co.,  Pa. 
During  a  part  of  his  ministry  he  was  independent  of  Coetus. 

DAVID  BOSSLER,  b.  Snyder  co.,  Pa.,  April  15,'  1800;  d.  York,  Pa.,  May  14, 
1875.  Preceptor,  Rev.  James  R.  Reily.  Lie.,  Synod  U.  S.,  and  ord.,  1821.  Past. 
Emmittsburg,  Gettysburg,  etc.,  i82i-'33;  Dauphin  co.,  Pa.,  i835-'52;  German  ch., 
York,  Pa.,  i852-'68.  Agt.  for  the  Theol.  Sem.,  F.  and  M.  Col.,  and  the  Ref.  Ch. 
Publication  Board. 

BENJAMIN  BOYER,  b.  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  4,  1792;  d.  Nov.  15,  1864. 
Served  in  the  war  of  1812.  Preceptor,  Dr.  S.  HelfFenstein.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Synod  U. 
S.,  1821.  Past.  Pinegrove,  etc.,  1821-  ab.  '29;  Northumberland  co.,  Pa.,  ab.  1829- 
'33;  Selinsgrove,  ab.  i833-'43;  Armstrong  co.,  Pa.,  1843;  Meadville,  Pa.,  etc.,  184  v 
'50;  Mercer  co.,  Pa.,  i85o-*53  or  '54. 

DANIEL  G.  BRAGONIER,  b.  near  Hagerstown,  Md.,  Oct.  10,  1808;  d.  Shep- 
herdstown,  W.  Va.,  Oct.  23,  1868.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  1834.  Lie.,  Synod  U.  S., 
and  ord.  1834,  Past.  Clearspring  chg,  Md.,  1834  ab.  '39;  Winchester,  Va.,  ab.  1839- 
'42;  Shepherdstown,  Martinsburg,  etc.,  Va.,  ab.  i843-'56. 

G.  H.  BRANDAU,  b.  Homburg,  Ger.  Came  to  America,  1833.  Past.  Ger.  (Ind.) 
ch.,  Louisville,  Ky.,  i834-'4i.  Lie.  "Free  Synod,"  1835.  Entered  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

JOHN  BRANDM1LLER,  b.  Basel,  Switz.,  Nov.  24,  1704;  d.  Bethlehem,  Pa., 
Aug.  16,  17-77.  Served  in  the  French  army.  Joined  the  Moravians,  1738.  Came  tc 
America,  1741.  Ord.  a  minister  of  the  Reformed  branch  of  the  "  Congregation  of 
God  in  the  Spirit,"  1745.  Preached  at  Allemaengel,  Berks  co.,  and  Donegal,  Lan- 
caster co.,  Pa.  Printer  in  Bethlehem.  Accidentally  drowned. 

NATHANIEL  E.  BRESSLER,  b.  Lower  Mahantango  twp.,  Schuylkill  co.,  Pa  , 
Sept.  7,  1821  ;  d.  Dauphin  co.,  Mar.  8,  1877.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Susquehanna  Cl.,  1846. 
Past.  Armstrong  Valley  chg.,  Dauphin  co  ,  Pa.,  1846-' 77,  with  an  interval  of  three 
years,  during  which  he  served  the  2d  ch.,  Harrisburg. 

JOHN  BROWN,  D.  D.  (Braun),  b.  near  Bremen,  Ger.,  July  21,  1771  ;  d.  Bridge- 
water,  Va.,  Jan.  26,  1850.  Came  to  America,  1797.  Preceptor,  Philip  Stock.  Lie 
Synod  U.  S.,  1800.  Ord.  1803.  Labored  about  48  years  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia. 
For  35  years  the  only  Reformed  minister  in  that  region,  except  the  pastor  of  Shep- 
nerdstown  charge.  Author  of  "Circular-Schreiben,"  Harrisonburg,  1818. 

PETER  BRUECK.ER,  b.  Dusseldorf,  Ger.,  1826;   d.  Sandusky,  Citv,  O.,  Jan. 


NECROLOGY.  387 

16,1854.  Came  to  America  ab.  1849.  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  iSso-'sit  Lie.  and 
ord.,  Tiffin  Cl.,  1852.  Past.  Sandusky  City,  F.,  1852-' 54. 

MARTIN  BRUNNER,  b.  Phila.,  1795  ;  d.  Lancaster,  Pa.,  1852.  Preceptor,  Dr. 
S.  Helfenstein.  Lie.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1816;  ord.,  1819.  Past.  Sunbury,  Pa.,  etc.,  1816- 
ab.  1827;  Hagerstown,  Md.,  etc.,  1827-' 32;  Lancaster,  Pa.,  1832-  ab.  '40.  One  of 
the  compilers  of  first  Eng.  Ref.  Hymn-book. 

JOHN  CONRAD  BUCHER,  h.  Schaff  hausen,  Switz.,  June  10, 1730  ;  d.  Lebanon, 
Pa.,  Aug.  15,  1780.  Stud,  at  St.  Gall,  Basel,  Gottingen,  and  Marburg.  Came  to 
America  ab.  1756,  and  entered  the  British  military  service.  Ab.  1763  resigned  his 
commission  and  became  a  minister.  Ord.  by  Coetus.  Royal  Chaplain.  Past.  Car- 
lisle, etc.,  ab.  i763-'68;  Lebanon,  Pa.,  etc.,  i768-'8o.  Founded  many  churches.  See 
pages  213  and  231. 

J.  G.  BUETTNER,  Ph.  D.,  b.  Ger.  Ord.  West  Penn.  Cl.  1835.  Past.  Osna- 
burg  and  Massilon,  O.,  1838-' 39.  Elected  Prof,  of  Theol.,  1838,  in  the  Seminary 
founded  in  Canton.  Returned  to  Europe.  Conducted  a  controversy  with  Frederick 
Muench,  of  Missouri,  and  wrote  a  book  on  America. 

JACOB  BIJRKHOLDER,  b.  Bedford  co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  29,  1823;  d.  Indiana,  Aug. 
17,  1875.  Preceptor,  Rev.  H.  Heckerman.  Lie.  Illinois  Cl.,  1862.  Ord.  St.  Joseph 
Cl.,  1869.  Past.  Union  chg.,  De  Kalb  Co.,  Ind.,  1869.  West  Jefferson  chg.,  Williams 
Co.,  O.,  1870;  Miami  and  Kosciusko  cos.,  Ind.,  i87i-*7S. 

THORNTON  BUTLER,  b.  Catawba  co.,  N.  C.,  Oct.  4,  1820;  d.  Anna,  111.,  Nov. 
2,  1870.  Grad.  M.  Col.,  1846;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1848.  Lie.  and  ord., 
North  Carolina  Cl.,  1848.  Past.  Lexington,  N.  C.,  etc.,  1848-' 53.  Without  charge, 
i853-'s8.  Past.  East  Rowan  chg.,  N.  C.,  i8s8-'68;  Anna,  111.,  1868-' 70. 

JOHN  CARES,  b.  Turbut  twp.,  Northumberland  co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  1811  ;  d.  York,  Pa., 
April  5,  1843.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.,  1830-' 32.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Synod  U.  S.,  1832. 
Past.  York,  Pa.,  i832-'43.  President  of  Synod  U.  S.  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

ANDREW  CARROLL,  (Carrot),  b.  Switz.,  1782  ;  d.  Bloomfield,  Ind.,  1857.  Ord. 
in  Switz.  Received,  Syn.  of  Ohio,  1842.  Past.  Holmes  co.,  O.,  i842-'44 ;  Fort 
Wayne,  Ind.,  1844;  Holmes  co.,  O.,  1845;  Bloomfield,  Ind  ,  1856.  . 

JOELi  CAREY,  b.  June  i,  1814;  d.  Napoleon,  O.,  Sept.  21,  1849.  Lie.  Maumee 
Cl.,  1847;  ofd.  Syn.  of  Ohio,  1848.  Miss.  Napoleon,  O.,  1848-' 49. 

ADOLPH  BERNHARD  CASPER,  b.  Halberstadt,  Prussia,  Nov.  2,  1810;  d. 
New  Berlin,  Pa.,  June  5,  1882.  Son  of  Prussian  Court  Preacher.  Came  to  America, 
1836.  Lie.,  1837;  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1833.  Past.  York  co.,  Pa.,  1837-' 39;  Mifflin- 
burg,  New  Berlin,  etc.,  i84o-'6o. 

CHARLES  CAST,  b.  Ettlingen,  Baden,  Ger.,  Feb.  22,  1815;  d.  Egg  Harbor,  N.  J., 
Jan.  2,  1883.  Univ.  of  Freiburg  and  Heidelberg.  Ord.  to  R.  C.  Priesthood,  1845. 
Came  to  America.  Admitted  to  Ref.  Ch.,  1852.  Past,  of  several  charges. 

JOSEPH  CHIPMAN,  Lie.  Synod  U.  S.,  1828.  Teacher  of  the  Academy,  Leba- 
non, Pa. 

HJDOVICUS  CHITARA.  This  man,  once  an  Augustinian  monk,  applied  to 
Coetus  for  ordination,  1786.  Referred  to  Holland,  but  the  response  was  not  favorable. 
Called  a  Reformed  minister  in  extant  documents,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  he  was  ever 
ordained. 

AARON  CHRISTMAN,  b.  Lower  Saucon,  Northampton  co.,  Pa.,  June  4,  1826; 
d.  Phila.,  Mar.  28,  1860.  Stud.  M.  Col.  Lie.  Susquehanna,  Cl.,  1850;  ord.  Mercers- 
burg  Cl.,  1851.  Entered  P.  E.  Church. 

JACOB  CHRISTMAN,  b.  1744;  d.  Warren  co..  O..  Mar.  n.  1810.     Lie.  and  ord.. 


388 


NECROLOGY. 


Synod  U.  S.t  1795.  Pastor  of  six  congregations  in  North  Carolina.  In  1803  he  went 
to  Ohio,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  Ref.  minister  in  that  State. 

J.  T.  CLARK,  lie.,  "Free  Synod,"  1830. 

JOHN  M.  CLEMENS,  b.  New  Berlin,  Pa.,  Jan.  27,  1838;  d.  Conyngham,  Pa., 
Sept.  ii,  1880.  Stud.  F.  and  M.  Col.  Theol.,  Mission  House,  Sheboygan,  Wis. 
Lie.  Sheboygan  Cl.,  1866.  Ord.  Zion  s  Cl.,  1866.  Past.  Littlestown,  Pa.,  1866-' 69  ; 
St.  Clair,  Pa.,  i869-'7i ;  Conyngham,  Pa.,  iSyi-'So. 

WILLIAM  F.  COLLIFLOWER,  b.  Cavetown,  Md.,  Feb.  14,  1814;  d.  Fred- 
erick, Md.,  April  30,  1882.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.  Lie.  and  Ord.,  Cl.  of  Md.,  1836. 
Past.  Millcreek  eh.,  Va.,  1837-' 39;  Woodstock,  Va.,  1839-' 42 ;  Glade  ch.,  Md.,  1842- 
'50;  Manchester,  Md.,  1850-' 59;  Jefferson,  Md.,  i85O-'69 ;  Bloomfield,  Pa.,  i86g-'72  ; 
Sulphur  Springs  chg.,  Pa.,  1872-' 74 ;  Hagertown,  Md.,  Second  ch.,  1874-' 77  ;  Abbots- 
town,  Pa.,  i877-'8o;  w.  c.,  i883-'82. 

BRUIN  ROMCAS  COMINGOE,  d.  ab.  1819.  Ord.  by  ministers  of  Scotch  Presb. 
Church  of  Nova  Scotia,  1770.  Past.  Ref.  ch.,  Luneburg,  N.  S.,  1770-1819.  See 
page  208. 

WILLIAM  CONRAD,  b.  Hagerstown,  Md.,  Aug.  n,  1808;  d.  Berlin,  Somerset 
Co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  16,  1865.  Grandson  of  Rev.  Henry  Giesy.  Stud.  High  School  and 
Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.  Lie.  and  ord.,  West  Penn.  Cl.,  1835.  Past.  Salisbuiy,  etc., 
i835-'4i ;  Berlin  chg.,  i84i-'59 ;  Beams  chg.,  i84i-'62.  Author  of  a  work  on  "  Bap- 
tism." 

WILLIAM  E.  CORNWELL,  b.  Phila.,  Dec.  8,  1807;  d.  Princeton,  N.  J., 
March  29,  1857.  Lie.  1836  and  ord.  1838,  Phila.  Cl.  Past.  Kensington,  ch.,  i838-'42; 
Pleasantville,  etc.,  1842-' 50.  Resigned  and  became  a  Baptist. 

JOHN  H.  CRAWFORD,  b.  Carrol  CO.,  Md.,  July  23,  1801 ;.  d.  Middleburg, 
Augusta  co.,  Va.,  Oct.  9,  1864.  Theol.  Sem.,  Carlisle,  1828.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Synod 
U.  S.,  1828.  Past.  Guilford  and  Orange  cos.,  N.  C.,  1828-' 40;  Lincoln  co.,  i84o-'57; 
Augusta  co.,  Va.,  i857-'64. 

DAVID  CROOKS,  b.  Pa.,  March  12,  1820;  d.  Lincoln  co..  N.  C.,  Jan.  24,  1859. 
Stud.  Marshall  Col.  Theol.  Sem,,  1837.  Lie.  Zion's  Cl.,  1838;  ord.  N.  C.  Cl.,  1839. 
Past.  Davidson  chg.,  N.  C.,  i83g-'45  ;  Lincolnton  chg,,  1845-' 59. 

JOHN  JACOB  "WILLIAM  DAHLMAN,  b.  Elberfeld,  Prussia,  June  29,  1801  ; 
d.  Phila.,  Aug.  i,  1874.  Came  to  America,  1848.  Stud,  privately.  Lie.,  N.  Y.  Cl., 
1851;  ord..  1852.  Past.  Evangelical  ch.,  Lancaster,  Erie  co.,  N.  Y.,  i852-'53;  Arn- 
heim,  O.,  iSss-'sS ;  Ger.  Presb.  ch.,  Jamaica,  L.  I.,  1858 ;  Ref.  (D.)  ch.,  Mel- 
rose,  N.  Y.,  i86i-'63  ;  Glassborough,  N.  J.,  i863~'69 ;  Bridesburg,  Pa.,  iSog-^i. 

ABNER  DALE,  b.  near  Boalsburg,  Centre  co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  17,  1829  ;  d.  Armstrong 
co.,  Pa.,  Jan.  16,  1875.  Grad.  M.  Col.,  1852.  Theol.  Sem.,  1856.  Lie.  Mercers- 
burg  Cl.,  1856;  ord  Clarion  Cl.,  1857.  Past.  Fairview  ch.,  Armstrong  co.,  Pa.,  1857- 
'60;  Reimersburg,  iS6o-'6i ;  Mercer  co.  miss.,  i862-'66 ;  w.  c.,  1866-' 70;  then  re- 
called to  his  first  charge. 

FREDERICK  DALLICKER  (de  la  Cour),  b.  in  Europe,  Feb.  2,  1738;  d. 
Falkner  Swamp,  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  Jan.  15,  1799.  Came  to  America  ab.  1757. 
Past.  Amwell,  N.  J.,  1770;  Rockaway,  etc.,  ab.  i77o-'82;  Goshenhoppen,  Pa.,  1782- 
'84;  Falkner  Swamp,  i784-'99. 

CHARLES  LEWIS  DACBERT,  b.  Ger.  Stud.  Theol.  in  Europe.  Lie.  Free 
Syn.  of  Pa.,  1831  ;  ord.  1832.  Past.  1834,  at  Lawrenceville,  Allegheny  co.,  Harmony, 
Butler  co.,  Pa.,  etc.  Past.  Wheeling,  Va.,  1839.  Name  mentioned  in  Minutes  Syn. 
O.,  1847. 


NECROLOGY.  389 

J.  W.  DAVIS,  lie.  Free  Syn.  1835 :  ord.  1837.  Dismissed  to  Presb.  of  Brooklyn, 
1839. 

WILLItM  F.  P.  DAVIS,  b.  Paradise  twp.,  York  co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  i,  1831  :  d.  Read- 
ing,  Pa  ,  June  n,  1883.  Grad  F.  and  M.  Col.,  1861 ;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg. 
Lie.  and  ord.,  Zion's  Cl.,  1863.  Past.  Abbotstown  chg.,  Pa.,  i863-'7i ;  Sinking 
Spring,  etc.,  Berks  co.,  iSyi-'Ss. 

JACOB  WILLIAM  DECHANT,  b.  Kreuznach,  Ger.,  Feb.  18,  1784  ;  d.  Lancas- 
ter co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  5,  1832.  Came  to  America,  1805.  Preceptor,  Rev.  C.  L.  Becker, 
D.  D.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1808.  Past.  Bucks  and  Lehigh  cos.,  Pa.,  i8o8-'is;  miss,  to 
Ohio,  1815-' 19;  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  1819-' 32.  Died  of  cholera  on  his  way  home 
from  a  meeting  of  Synod. 

JOHN  PETER  DECHANT,  brother  of  the  preceding,  b.  Kreuznach,  Ger.,  1782  ; 
d.  Champaign  co.,  Ohio,  1824.  Lie.  and  ord.  Syn.  U,  S.,  1822.  Past.  Champaign 
co.,  etc.,  O.,  i822-'24. 

J.  PETER.  DECKER,  Past.  Chestnut  Hill,  Monroe  co.,  Pa.,  i832-'55. 

SOLOMON  K.  DENIUS,  b.  Baltimore  co.,  Md.,  Aug.  n,  1798;  d.  New  Castle, 
Ind.,  Sept.  29,  1878.  Preceptors,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker  and  J.  Geiger.  Lie.  and  ord., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1821.  Past.  Boonsboro,  Md.,  1821-31;  Bedford,  Pa.,  1831-' 36;  Berlin, 

Pa.,  1836 .  Removed  to  the  West,  laboring  successively  at  Somerset,  Bakersville, 

Germantown,  West  Alexandria,  and  Camden,  Ohio,  and  at  New  Castle,  Ind. 

DR.  DE  Q,UENAUDON,  lie.  "  Free  Synod,"  ab.  1834.  Doctor  of  Medicine,  re- 
siding in  Berks  co.,  Pa.  Preached  occasionally,  but  was  never  pastor  of  a  charge. 

JACOB  DE*COMBES,  b.  Coblentz,  Ger.,  Feb.  17,  1798;  d.  Butler  co.,  O.,  Oct. 
6,  1845.  Stud,  in  Germany.  Came  to  America,  1820.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Geo.  Weiss. 
Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1824.  Past,  of  congregations  in  Ohio  and  Indiana.  Author 
of  a  small  volume  on  "  Baptism." 

JACOB  DIEFFENBACH,  b.  Va.,  Feb.  27,  1784;  d.  Espytown,  Pa.,  Apr.  13, 
1825.  Preceptors,  Rev.  Henry  Dieffenbach  and  C.  L.  Becker,  D.  D.  Lie.  and  ord., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1807.  Past.  Berks  and  Lehigh  cos.,  Pa.,  1808;  Union  co.,  i8o8-'u ;  Le- 
high  co.,  i8u-'is  ;  Bloomsburg,  i8i5-'22;  Espytown,  i822-*25. 

HENRY  DIEFFENBACH,  elder  brother  of  the  preceding.  Ord.  Syn.  U.  S., 
1802.  Past,  of  churches  in  North  Carolina.  First  Sec.  of  "Free  Synod,"  1822,  and 
pastor  of  Jerusalem  ch.,  Berks  co.,  Pa.  Removed  to  Ohio,  1826.  Died  ab.  1839. 

JACOB  FOLLMER  DIEFFENBACHER,  b.  Northumberland  co.,  Pa.,  Dec. 
18,  1802;  d.  Harmony,  Pa.,  Feb.  4,  1842.  Stud.  Theol.  Sem.,  Carlisle,  Pa.  Lie.  and 
ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1828.  Past.  Sharpsburg  and  Boonesboro,  Md.,  1828-' 30;  Mercers- 
burg,  Pa.,  1830-' 32  ;  Woodstock,  Va  ,  1832-' 39;  Harmony,  Pa.,  i839-*42. 

N.  1JODDS.     Preceptor,  Rev.  S.  Helfenstein,  D.  D.     Lie.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1829. 

PETER  HENRlf  DORSTIUS,  past.  Ref.  (Dutch)  church,  Southampton,  1731- 
'48.  First  Missionary  Superintendent.  Visited  German  churches,  1740.  Commis- 
sioner to  Presb.  Synod,  1743,  Died  before  1755.  See  page  173. 

ABRAHAM  H.  DOTTERER,  b.  Boyertown,  Pa.,  Nov.  4,  1840;  d.  New  Han- 
over, Pa.,  Aug.  24,  1870.  Grad.  F.  and  M.  C.,  1867.  Theol.  Sem.,  1869.  Lie.,  Cl 
of  Phil.,  7.869.  Ord.  East  Sus.  Cl.,  1869.  Past.  Sunbury,  PaJ(  1869-' 70. 

HERMAN  DOUGLASS,  sup.  York,  Pa.,  1845  or  1846.     \Vithout  charge,  1^6. 

ROBERT  DOUGLASS,  b.  Ireland,  Oct.,  1807;  d.  near  Shepherdstown,  W.  Va., 
Aug.  20,  1867.  Came  to  America  ab.  1828.  Entered  Ref.  church,  Baltimore,  Md 
Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.  Lie.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1833.  Past.  Shepherdstown  and  Martins. 


39O  NECROLOGY. 

burg,  Va.,   1833-' 46;   Jefferson,  Md.,  1846-' 50;    Boonsboro,  Md.,  iSjo- 

i8s6-'65;  Mt.  Moriah,  Md..  1865-' 67. 
<..  AVIL.LI AM  DREES,  stud.  Germany.     Lie.  Cl.  of  Bemheim,  Hanover,  1836. 

Ord.  as  miss.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1846. 
JOHN  H.  OREYER,  b.  Ger.,  1768 ;  d.  1840.    Past.  Baltimore,  Md.,  1806  ;  Forsyth 

St.  ch.,  N.  Y.,  1812-' 14;  w.  c.,  i8i4-'24.     Editor  of  "  Evangelische  Zeitung,"  1830- 

'34.     Went  to  Europe.     Afterwards  past,  of  a  church  in  Bremen,  Ger. 
SAMUEL.  DUIIBEXDORF,  b.  Ger.,  — ;  d.  Selinsgrove,  Pa.,  1800.     Came  to 

America  as  chaplain  of  Hessian  troops  ab.  1776.     Past.  Germantown,  Pa.,  i777-'3o; 

Lykens  Valley,  I78o-'8o;  Carlisle,  Pa.,  i79o-*95;  Lykens  Valley.  1795. 
JOSEPH  S.  DUBBS,  D.  D.  (Dubs),  b.  Upper  Milford,  Lehigh  co  ,  Pa.,  Oct.  16, 

1796;  d.  Allentown,  Pa.,  Apr.  14, 1877.     Preceptor,  Rev.  F.  L.  Herman,  D.  D.     Lie., 

Fise  Syn.  of  Pa.,  1822;  ord.  1823.     Past.  Windsor,  Eppler's,  etc.,  Berks  co,,  Pa., 

iS22-'3i ;  Zion's  ch.,  Allentown,  Pa.,  i83i-'6i ;  Egypt,  Jordan,  etc.,  i83i-'66.     See 

page  276. 
JONATHAN  DU  BOIS,  d.  1771.     Past.  Ref.  (Dutch)  ch.  at  Southampton,  Pa., 

i7S3-'7i.     Member  of  Coetus  of  Pa. 
JOHN  S.  EBAUGH  (Ibach),  b.  York  co.,  Pa.,  Apr.  19,  1795;  d.  N.  Y.  city,  Nov. 

2,  1874.     Preceptor,  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.    Ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1818.    Miss.  N.  C.,  1818- 

'19;   Carlisle,  Pa.,  1819- ab.   1835.     Entered  "Free   Synod,"  1831.     Genl.   Agt.   of 

American  Bible  Society,  1835.     Published  "  Heavenly  Incense,"  an  English  version 

of  Zollikofer's  Prayer-book.     W.  c.,  1839-' 44.     Past.  Forsyth  st.  ch.,  N.  Y.,  i844-'5i. 

Founded  "  Industrial  School,"  N.  Y.,  1854. 
GEORGE  CHRISTIAN  EICHENBERG,  b.  Rinteln,  Hesse,  Dec.  25,  1816; 

d.  Weissport,  Pa.,  June  12,  1880.     Came  to  America,  1844.     Lie.,  Cl.  of  E.  P.,  1845; 

ord.,  1848.     Past.  Weissport  ch.,  i848-'8o.     Susp.  1863. 
PETER  EISENBERG,  d.  ab.  1805.     Ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1800.     Pastor  at  a  place 

called  "  Grove." 

GEORGE  EPPERT,  lie.,  Free  Synod,  1829.     Labored  in  Virginia. 
DAVID  B.  ERNST,  b.  near  Hanover,  Pa.,  July  4,  1815;  d.  Bath,  Pa.,  Mar.  n, 

1877.     Grad.  Mar.  Col,,  1841.     Theol.   Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1844.     Lie.,  Susq.  Cl., 

1844;   ord.,  Westmoreland  Cl.,  1844.     Past.   Somerset  chg.,  1844-' 49 ;   Saegertown, 

Crawford  co.,  1849-' 75  ;  Moore  township,  Northampton  co.,  1875— '77. 
JOHN  ERNST,  b.  Feb.  22,  1744;  d.  Berlin,  Pa  ,  Aug.  30,  1804.    Grandfather  of  the 

preceding.     Labored  in  York  co.,  Pa. 
ADAJUC  ETTINGER,  d.  York  co.,  Pa.,  ab.  1810.    Lie.,  Synod  U.  S.,  1803:  ord., 

1805.     Past,  at  Abbotstown   and   Hanover,   Pa.     Said   to   have  participated   in  the 

"  United  Brethren  "  movement. 
NATHAN  EVANS,  b.  Apr.   21,  1822;   d.  Fostoria,  O.,  Feb.  2.  1848.     Lie.  San- 

dnsky  Cl.,  Syn.  O.,  1846;  ord.,  1847.     Past-  Rome,  etc.,  O.,  i847~'48. 
JOHN  CHRISTOPHER  FABER,  b.  Ger.  ab.  1731;  d.  1796.     Past.  First  ch., 

Baltimore,  Md.,  I757-'?1 1  Taneytown,  1771.     See  page  216. 
JOHN  THEOBALD  FABER,   b.  Toggenburg,  Palatinate,  Feb.   13,  1739;    d. 

Nov.  2,  1708.     Sent  to  America  by  Synods  of  Holland,  1766.     Past.  New  Goshen- 

hoppen,  etc.,  i766--79;  Lancaster,  Pa.,  i779-'84;  Indianfield,  i784-'86;  N.  Goshen- 

hoppen,  etc.,  i786-'88.     Taken  with  fatal  illness  while  preaching  at  New  Goshenhr p. 

pen. 
JOHN  THEOBALD  FABER,  Jr.,  son  of  the  preceding;   b.   Goshenhoppen, 


NECROLOGY.  39 1 

Sept  24,1771;  d.  there,  Jan.  31,  1833.  Stud.  Franklin  Col.,  Lancaster.  Preceptor, 
Dr.  W.  Hendel.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1792.  Past.  N.  Goshenhoppen,  etc., 
1792-1807;  Bethany  ch.,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa.,  i8o7-'i9;  N.  Goshenhoppen,  etc.,  1819- 
'33.  Died  suddenly  while  preaching  at  New  Goshenhoppen. 

BENJAMIN  FAUST,  b.  Pa.,  Nov.  19,  1797;  d.  Stark  co.,  O.,  Nov.  19,  1832. 
Ord.  ab.  1819.  Past.  Canton  O.,  etc.,  i8i9~'32. 

JOHN  FELIX,  lie.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1717;  ord.  1819.  Past.  Northumberland  and 
Schnylkill  cos.,  Pa.,  i8i9~'23  ;  Union  Co.,  i823~'25.  He  then  irregularly  left  liis 
charge,  and  his  subsequent  history  is  unknown.  In  the  minutes  of  Synod  for  several 
years  his  name  is  marked  "  vermisst,"  or  '•  missing." 

THOMAS  FERRELL,  died  Carrollton,  O.,  Nov.  29,  1875.  Received  from  the 
Church  of  the  "United  Brethren"  by  the  Cl.  of  Sandusky.  He  served  no  pastoral 
charge  in  the  Reformed  Church. 

SAMUEL  J.  FETZER,  b.  Woodstock,  Va.,  Sept.  14,  1820;  d.  Rowan  co.,  N.  C., 
Aug.  8,  1861.  Stud.  Mercersburg,  1839.  Preceptor,  Rev.  D.  Feete.  Lie.  and  ord., 
Virginia  Cl.,  1842.  Past.  Zion's,  Grace,  etc.,  i842-'46;  Pendleton  co.,  Va.,  1846-' 50; 
Augusta  chg.,  1850-58;  West  Rowan  ch.,  N.  C.,  i858-'6i. 

GEORGE  A  FICKES,  b.  Bedford  co.,  Pa.,  Apr.  15,  1820;  d.  De  Kalb  co.,  Ind., 
Apr.  26,  1865.  Stud.  Tiffin,  O.  ;  lie.  and  ord.,  Westmoreland  Cl.,  1857.  Past. 
Grantsville,  Md.,  i857~'59.  Removed  to  Fremont,  O. ;  w.  c.,  iS5g-'63;  Plymouth, 
Ind.,  i863-'64;  De.  Kalb  co.,  Ind.,  1865. 

PETER  S.  FISHER,  b.  near  Reading,  Pa.,  Oct.  u,  1804;  d.  May  22,  1873. 
Preceptor,  Dr.  F.  L.  Herman.  Lie.,  Free  Synod,  1825;  ord.,  1826.  Past.  Dauphin 
co.,  i826-*32;  Centre  co.,  i832-'57  ;  Tohickon  chg.,  Bucks  co.,  1857-' 73. 

RICHARD  A.  FISHER,  b.  Heidelberg  twp.,  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  25,  1805;  d. 
Lykens  Valley,  Pa.,  Jan.  27,  1857.  Preceptor,  Dr.  F.  L.  Herman.  Lie.  and  ord., 
"Free  Synod,"  1826.  Past.  Sunbury  chg.,  i827~'54  ;  w.  c.,  1854-56;  Lykens  Valley, 
i8;6-'57.  Cousin  of  the  preceding. 

SAMUEL  REED  FISHER,  D.  D.,  b.  Norristown,  Pa.,  June  2,  1810;  d.  Tif- 
fin, O.,  June  5,  1881.  Grad.,  Jefferson  Col.,  Canonsburg,  Pa.,  1834.  Theol.  Sem., 
York,  Pa.,  1836.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1836.  Past.  Emmittsburg,  Pa.,  1836-' 39. 
Superintendent  of  Publicr.tion  Interests,  i84o-'8i.  Editor  of  "  The  Messenger,"  1840- 
75.  Synodical  Editor,  i875-'8i.  Stated  Clerk,  Syn.  U.  S.,  i84o-'8i.  Treas.  Board 
of  Ed.,  i838-'8i.  See  page  333. 

CHRISTIAN  F.  FOEHRING,  b.  Hanover,  Ger.,  1736;  d.  Millstone,  N.  J., 
Mar.  29,  1779.  Came  lo  America,  1742.  Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  D.  Weyberg.  Lie.,  Cl. 
of  N.  V.,  R.  D.  Ch.,  1770.  Past.  Germantown,  Whitpain,  etc.,  i77o-';2;  New  York, 
Forsyth  St.,  1772;  Montgomery,  1773-' 74;  Millstone,  N.  J.,  i774-'79. 

JOHN  AUGUSTUS  FOERSCH,  b.  Ger.,  — ;  d.  in  New  York.  Lie.  and  ord., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1833.  Past,  successively  in  Chambersburg,  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  New 
York  City.  Author  of"  Zwingli's  Leben,"  Chambersburg,  1837.  Became  a  Ration- 
alist. Deposed  from  the  ministry  ab.  1839.  Reinstated  1842,  and  subsequently  again 
deposed. 

THEOBALD  FOUSE,  b.  Eiair  co.,  Pa  ,  Dec.  26,  1802;  d.  Huntingdon  co.,  Aug. 
23,  1873.    Lie.  and  ord.,  Mercersburg  Cl.,  1842.    Past.  Woodcock  Valley,  etc.,  i842-'73. 
GEORGE  F.  FOY,  lie.  and  ord..  Susq.  Cl.,  1851.     Past.  Bellefonte,  Pa.     Dep., 
1854.     Died  Johnstown,  Pa.,  ab.  1857. 

THEODORE  FRANKENI  ELD,  b.  Ger.  D.  Frederick,  Md.,  ab.  1757.  One 
to  America  with  Schlatter,  1752.  Past.  Frederick,  Md.,  i853-'57. 


NECROLOGY. 

II  i:\KY  A.   PIIIKDEI,,  b.  Hamburg,  Ger  ,  Sep.  8,  1823;   d.  Harrisburg,  Pa., 

Jan.  15,  1883.     Came  to  America,  1848.     Stud,  at  Mercersburg.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Mi- 
ami  Cl.,   Syn.   of  O.,   1860.     Preached   in   the  West;  then   Bethlehem   ch.,   Phila. 

Entered  Ref.  (D.)  Ch.     Labored  in  N.  J.  and  N.  Y.     Returned  to  Ref.  ch.,  U.  S., 

Zwingli  ch.,  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  1883. 
JOHN  B.  FKIKI1K,  a  convert  from  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.     Lie.  Free  Syn., 

1836. 
YOST  HENRY  FRIES,  b.  Nassau-Dillenberg,  Ger.,  Apr.  24,  1777;  d.  Mifflin- 

burg,  Pa.,  Oct.   9,  1839.     Came  to  America,  1803.     Preceptor,  Rev.  Daniel  Wagn.-r. 

Lie.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1809;  ord.  1813.     Past.  York  CO.,  Pa.,  iSio-'ia';  Mifflinburg,  Bru>h 

Valley,  etc.,  1812 .     Published  several  sermons. 

JOHN  G.  FRITCHEY,  b.  Dauphin  CO.,  Pa.,  Feb.  6,  1802;  d.  Lancaster,  Pa  , 

Mar.   12,   1885.     Theol.  Sem.,  Carlisle,  i825-'28.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.   S.,  1828. 

Past.  Lincolnton,  N.  C.,  i828-*40 ;  East  Berlin,  Pa.,  i84o-'45;  Mechanicsburg,  1845- 

'52;  Taneytown,  Md  ,  i852-'65.     Removed  to  Lancaster,  Pa.     Sup.  Manheim,  Mil- 

lersville,  New  Holland,  etc.,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa. ;  Zwingli  ch.,  Harrisburg,  1880. 
WILLIAM   FULTON,   preceptor,   Dr.   J.    Helffenstein.     Lie.,   Phila.   Cl.,    1852. 

Past.  Phcenixville,  Pa.     Entered  Presb.  Ch  ,  1854.     Chaplain  of  Scott  Legion  Regt., 

1867.     Manayunk  Ref.  D.  ch.,  iS6s-'6a. 
HENRY  FUNK,  b.  near  Hagerstown,  yd.,  May  7,    1816;  d.    Bloomsburg,  Pa., 

Apr.  16,  1855.     Grad.  Marshall  Col.,  1841.     Theol,  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1844.     Lie. 

Maryland  cl. ;  ord.  Susquehanna  Cl.,  1844.     Past.  Bloomsburg  chg,,  Pa.,  i844-'55- 
JOHN  GASSER,  refused   membership   by  Coetus,  1752.     Preached  some  time  in 

Carolina.     Returned  to  Europe. 
CORNELIUS  GATES,  d.  Minisink,  N.  Y.,  1863.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1833;  ord., 

Md.  Cl.,  1834.     Entered  Ref.  D.  Ch.,  1840. 
JOHN  GABRIEL.  GEBHARO,  b.  Waldorf,  Ger.,  Feb.  2,  1750;  d.  Claverack, 

N.    Y.,   Aug.    16,   1826.     Stud.  Heidelberg  and  Utrecht.     Came  to  America,  1772. 

Past.  Whitpain  and  Worcester,  1772-' 74;  N.  Y.  City,  i774--76;  Claverack,  N.  Y., 

1776-1826. 
JOHN  GERBER.  a  native  of  Switzerland.    Stud,  at  Basel.    Miss,  in  Africa.    Past. 

Basil,  O.,  1835;  Newark,  O.,  i835-*40. 
ISAAC  GERHART,  b.  near  Sellersville,  Pa.,  Feb.  12,  1788;  d.  Lancaster,  Pa., 

Feb.  n,  1865.     Precepior,  Dr.  S   Htlffenstein.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1813.     Past.  Union 

CO.,   Pa.,   i8i3-'i8;    Lyki-ns  Valley,  i8i6-*43;    Ger.  ch.,   Frederick,  Md.,  i843-*49; 

Manheim,  etc.,  Pa.,  i849~'56.     President  of  Board  of  Missions.     Published  "Church 

Harmonia." 

JOHN  HENRY  GERHART,  b.  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  23,  1782;  d.  Hat- 
field,  Pa.,  Nov.  11,1846.     Preceptor,  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1812; 

ord.  1815.     Past.  Bedford,  Pa.,  1812-' 30;  Hilltown,  Pa.,  1630. 
JACOB  GEIGER,  b.  Allentown,  Pa.,  Oct.  17,  1793;  d.  Manchester,  Md.,  Oct.  19, 

1848.     Preceptor,  Dr.  J.  C.  Becker.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1817;  ord.,  1819.     Past.  Man- 
chester, Md.,  etc.,  i8i9-'48. 
GEORGE  GEISTWEIT,  b.  Pa.,  1761 ;  d.  York,  Pa.,  Nov.  n,  1831.     Preceptor, 

Dr.  F.  L.  Herman.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1794.     Past.  Sunbury,  etc.,  Pa.,  1794- 

1804;  York,  Pa.,  1804-' 20;  w.  c.,  i82o-'3i. 
HENRY  GIESY,  b.  Lichtenau,  Ger.,  Apr.  13,  1757;  d.  Berlin,  Pa.,  Mar.  24,  184?. 

Lie.  and  ord.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1782.     Fast.  Loudon  Co.,  Va.,  1782-94;  Berlin,  Pa.,  1794- 

1833;  w.  c.,  i833-'45. 


NECROLOGY.  393 

NICHOLAS  E.  GILDS,  b.  Frederick  Co.,  Md.,  Apr.  17,  1819;  d.  Mechanicsburg, 
,     Md.,  Mar.  5,  1879.     Lie.,  Va.  Cl.,  1850;  ord.,  Columbiana  Cl.,  O.,  1851.     Past.  Car- 

rollton,   O.,  i85i-'54;    Rimersburg,   Pa.,   1854-' 56;    St.   Clairsville,   Pa.,   1856-' 65 ; 

Taneytown,  Md.,  i865-'67;  Mechanicstown,  Md.,  1867-' 76. 
WILLIAM  GILPIN,  b.  Schuylkill  co.,  Pa.,  July  i,  1821;  d.  Broken  Sword,  O., 

Jan.  16,  1882.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Illinois  Cl.,  1862.     Past.  Hickory,  111.,  i863~'68;  Macon 

chg.,  i868-'72;  Union  ch.,  Fairfield  co.,  O.,  1873-' 78;  Broken  Sword  ch.,  i879-'82. 
SHERIDAN  GITTEAU,  received  1841,  Cl.  of  Md.,  from  Presb.  Ch.     Dism.  to 

Presb.  Ch.,  1843. 
PHILIP  GLONINGER,  b.    Lebanon,    Pa.,   Feb.    17,   1788;    d.    Sept.    10,   1816. 

Stud    Franklin  Col.     Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker.    Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1808. 

Past.  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  i8o8-'i6. 
JOHN  CHRISTOPHER  GOBRECHT,   b.  Angerstein,  Ger.,  Oct.  u,  1733  ; 

d.  Hanover,  Pa.,  Nov.  6,  1815.     Came  to    America,   1753.     Preceptor,   Rev.  J.  G. 

Alsentz.     Lie.   and  ord.,  Coetus,  Pa.,  1766,     Past.  Tohickon,  etc.,   Pa.,   1766-' 79; 

Hanover  chg,  Pa.,  1779-1806. 
JOHN  GOBRECHT,  b.  Lancaster,  Pa.,  Dec.   10,  1773;  d.  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  Mar. 

5,  1831.     Son  of  the  preceding.     Preceptors,   Rev.  V.  Mel=heimer,  P.  Stock  and  W. 

Hendel.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1794.  Syn.  U.  S.     Past.  Asst.  at  Hanover,. etc.,  1794-1802; 

Past.  Allentown,  etc.,  Pa.,  i8o2-*3i. 

JOHN  HENRY  GOETSCHIUS,  (Gottschy).     A  native  of  Zurich,  Switz.     Pas- 

tor  at   New   Goshenhoppen,    Pa.,   and  many  other  churches,   I73i-ab.   1739.     Ord. 

Presb.  Syn  ,  Phila.,  1737.     See  p.  170. 
WILLIAM  A  GOOD,  b.   Philadelphia,  July  15,  1810;  d.  Reading,  Pa.,  Feb.  9, 

1873.     Theol.  Sem  ,  York,  Pa.      Lie.  and  ord.,  Cl.    Lebanon,   1833.      Rector  Prep. 

Dept.  Marshall  Col.,  Pa.     Past.  Hagerstown,  Md.,  York,  Pa.,  etc.     For  many  years 

engaged  in  the  work  of  education. 
DIETRICH  GRAVE  «,  b.  Ger.  ab.  1776;  d.  Shippensburg,  Pa.,  Mar.  22,  1833. 

Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1820.     Past.  Uniontown  and  Taneytown,  Md..   i82O-'29  ; 

Woodstock,  Va.,  i82o-'32;  Shippensburg,  Pa.,  i832-'33. 
DANIEL  GRING,  b.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  8,  1811 ;  d.  York,  Pa.,  May  31,  1882. 

Theol.  Sem.,  York,   Pa.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1835.     Past.  Paradise   chg.,  Pa.,  i835-'53 ; 

Shrewsbury  chg,  i853-'8o. 

JOHN  DANIEL  GROS,  D.  D.,  (Gross)  b.  Palatinate,  Ger.,  1737;  d.  Canajo- 
harie,  N.  Y.,  May  25,  1812.  Past.  Allentown,  etc.,  Pa.,  1764-^0  ;  Lower  Saucon  ch., 
1770-' 72;  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  i772-'83;  Forsyth  st.  ch.,  N.  Y.,  i783-*95.  Prof.  01 
German  in  Columbia  Col.,  N.  Y.,  i784-*95,  and  of  Moral  Philosophy,  i787-*95. 
Author  of"  Natural  Principles  of  Rectitude,"  8vo.,  1795. 

GEORGE  ADAM  GUETING,  (Guething  or  Geeting),  b.  Nassau,  Ger.,  Feb.  6, 
1741,  d.  Maryland,  June  28,  1812.  Came  to  America,  175^.  Taught  school  on  the  Aiuie- 
tam.  Preceptor,  Rev  Wm.  Otterbein.  Ord.  Coetus,  Pa.,  1783.  Deposed  1804. 
Prominent  among  the  "  United  Brethren  in  Chi  1st.1' 

JOHN  C.  GULDIN,  D.  D.,  b.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  1799;  d.  New  York  City, 
Feb.  18,  1863.  Preceptor,  F.  L.  Herman,  D.  D.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1820. 
Member 'of  Free  Synod,  1822-' 36.  Past.  Trappe,  etc.,  Pa.,  i82o-'4i ;  Grindstone  Hill 
ch.,  1841.  Ger.  Ev.  Mission,  N.  Y.,  1842.  Dism.  to  Ref.  (D.)  ch.  in  America. 

SAMUEL  GULDIN.  A  Swiss  minister,  great-grandfather  of  the  preceding,  set- 
tled in  Pennsylvania  early  in  the  last  century.  Probably  independent. 

SAMUEL  GUTELIUM,  b.  Manheim,  Pa.,  Oct.  22,  1795,  d.  Lykenstown.  Pa..  July 


394  NECROLOGY. 

17,  1866.  Preceptor,  Rev. Yost  Henry  Fries.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1822.  r.i«t. 
Paradise  ch.  Pa.,  iSzz-'zS;  Hanover  ch.,  i828-'38 ,  Gettysburg  ch.,  i838-*43 ,  Con- 
way  st.  ch.,  Baltimore,  Md.,  i843-'46;  Abbotstown  ch.,  Pa.,  i846-'5i ;  Emanuel'* 
ch.,  i8si-'53;  w.  c.,  i8s3-'54 ;  Freeburg,  Pa.,  iSss-'oo:  w.  c.,  i86i-'62;  Tremont 
(supply)  1863  ;  Lykens  Mission,  i864~'66. 

HENRY  N.  B.  IIAHMSTOX,  b.  Baltimore,  Md.,  ab.,  1794;  d.  Baltimore,  Md., 
April  2,  1870.  Stud.  St.  Mary's  Col.,  Md.  Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker.  Lie.  and 
ord.,  Syn.  U.S.,  1815.  Missionary,  Westmoreland  co.,  Pa.,  iSis-'i?.  Past.  Shrewsbury, 
Pa.,  1819  ;  Shippensburg,  1824.  Suspended,  1828.  Restored,  1847.  Past.  Manheim, 
Pa.,  i847--48.  Missionary  in  Illinois,  iSso-'si.  Deposed,  1853. 

NICHOLAS  P.  IIACKK,  D.  D.,  b.  Baltimore,  Md.,  Sep.  20,  1800;  d.  Greens- 
burg,  Pa.,  Aug.  25,  1878.  Went  to  Germany,  1806;  returned  to  America,  1816.  Pre- 
ceptors, Rev.  Drs.  C.  L.  and  J.  C.  Becker.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1819.  Past. 
Greensburg  chg.,  Pa.,  1819-' 78. 

JOHN  FREDERICK.  HAGER,  (Heger).  Probably  the  earliest  German  Re- 
formed minister  in  America.  Accompanied  Palatines  to  London,  1709.  Came  to  New 
York  and  preached  at  East  and  West  Camp.  Ord.  Dec.  20,  1709.  Preached  a: 
Schoharie,  N.  Y.,  1711.  Sea  page  162. 

JOHN  WILLIAM  IIAJUM,  b.  York  Co.,  Pa.,  August  5,  1800;  d.  Manchester, 
O.,  April  3.  1872.  Preceptors:  Rev.  Drs  C.  L.  Becker  and  S.  Helffenstein.  Lie.  and 
ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1822.  Past.  Newville,  Pa.,  i822-'24  ;  Manchester,  O.,  1824-' 72. 

JACOB  W.  HANGEN,  b.  Philadelphia,  Mar.  5,  1805;  d.  near  Trappe,  Pa.,  F<.b. 
23,  1843.  Preceptor,  Rev.  J.  W.  Dechant.  Ord.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1825.  Past.  Columbia 
and  Warren,  N.  Y.,  i825-'3o ;  Root,  N.  Y.,  i83o-'4o;  Hilhown,  etc.,  Pa.,  1840. 
Trappe  chg.,  Pa.,  1841-43. 

HENRY,HARBAUGH,  D.  D.,  b.  near  Waynesboro,  Franklin  co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  28, 
1817;  d.  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  Dec.  28,  1867.  Stud.  Marshall  Col.,  iS4o-'4i  ;  Theol. 
Sem.  Mercersburg,  1843.  Lie.  Syn.  U.  S.  ;  ord.,  Susquehanna  Cl.,  1845;  Past.  Lewis- 
burg,  Pa.,  1843-' 50  ;  Lancaster,  Pa.,  i8so-'6o  ;  Lebanon,  Pa.,  i86o-'63.  Prof,  of  Di- 
dactic and  Practical  Theology,  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  i863~'67.  Published  "  The  Sainted 
Dead  (1848);  "The  Heavenly  Recognition  "  (1851);  "  The  Heavenly  Home  "  (1853): 
"  Union  with  the  church  "  (1853);  "The  Birds  of  the  Bible"  (1854);  "Life  of  the 
Rev.  Michael  Schlatter"  (1857';  "  The  Fathers  of  the  German  Reformed  Church  in 
Europe  and  America,"  2  vols.  (1857-1858);  "  The  True  Glory  ol  Woman  "  and  "  The 
Lord's  Portion  "  (1858);  "  Poems"  (1860);  "The  Golden  Censer"  (1860);  "Hymns 
and  Chants"  (1861):  Christological  Theology"  (1864).  Posthumous  publ!c;it  ons ; 
"  Harbaugh's  Harfe,"  a  collection  of  his  poems  in  the  German  dialect  of  Pennsylvania, 
edited  by  R-.v.  B.  Bausman,  D.  D  ,  (1870);  and  "The  Fathers  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Church,"  vol.  3,  edited  by  Rev.  D.  Y.  Heisler,  D.  D.,  (1872).  Author  of 
"Jesus,  I  live  to  Thee,"  and  other  hymns.  Also  wrote  many  articles  for  periodicals. 
Founded  "  The  Guardian,"  a  monthly  magazine,  1850.  Editor  of  "  The  Guardian  " 
i8so-'66.  Editor  of  "  The  Mercersburg  Review "  1867.  Contributed  the  Lives  of 
Reformed  Ministers  to  Dr.  McClintock's  "  Theological  Cyclopoedia." 

FREDERICK  W.  HESSELBIAN,  Ord.  Cl.  of  New  York,  1849.  Past.  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  1849-' 50. 

DAVID  HASSINGER,  b.  Meyerstown,  Pa.,  1791;  d.  Ickesburg,  Pa.,  March  3, 
1858.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.  Lie.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1823;  ord.  1824.  Past. 
Newville,  Pa.,  1824— ab.  1829;  Orwigsburg,  Pa.,  1829-;  Pottsville,  Pa.,  ab.  i83o- 
'56  Remove  '  to  Perry  co.,  1856.  W.  c.,  1856  "58. 

PETER  HAIJCK.     Member  of  St.  Joseph's  Cl.,  Syn.  of  O.,  iSji-'ss. 


NECROLOGY.  395 

WILLIAM  HAUCK,  b.  North  Carolina—;  d.  Missouii— .  Lie.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1814; 
ord.  1818.  Past.  North  Carolina,  i8i4-'i9;  Wythe  Co.,  Va.,  1819-;  Davidson  CO., 
N.  C.,  1830;  Forks,  S.  C.;  Peck's  ch.,  N.  C.,  1836.  Suspended  ab.  1836. 

ANTHONY  HAUTZ,  b.  Ger.,  Aug.  4,  1758;  d.  Grotton,  N.  Y.,  1830.  Came  to 
America,  with  his  parents,  1768.  Preceptor,  Dr.  W.  Hendel.  Catechist  1786.  Ord., 
Coetus,  Pa.,  1787.  Past.  Lancaster  co.,  i786-'88;  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  i7S8-'97; 
Carlisle,  Pa.,  1798-1804.  Seneca  CO.,  N.  Y.,  1804-' 15.  W.  c.,  iSis-'so. 

JOHN  HAUTZ,  b.  Pa.,  ab.  1799;  d-  Bernville.  Pa.,  Dec.  28,  1832.  Lie.  and  ord., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1828.  Past.  Northumberland,  Schuylkill,  and  Berks  counties,  Pa. 

HENRY  HECKERMAN,  b.  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  Jan.  7.  1817;  d.  Bedford,  Pa., 
\pril  5,1876.  Grad.  Marshall  Col.,  1844.  Lie.  Cl.  East  Pa.,  1845;  ord.  Mercers- 
,..rg  cl.,  1845.  Mis*s.  Bedford  Co.,  i845-'47.  Past.  Huntingdon  ch.,  1847-' 50;  Bed- 
ford ch.,  iSso-'?!  ;  without  ch.,  1871-' 76. 

DAVID  HEFFELFINGER,  b.  Cumberland  co.,  Pa.,  1816;  d.  Fayetteville. 
Pa.,  July  23,  1860.  Stud.  Marshall  Col.  and  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg.  Lie.  and 
ord.,  Goshenhoppen  Cl.,  1848.  Past.  Brownbacks  ch.,  Chester  co.,  Pa.,  i848-'55 ; 
Newville,  Pa.,  ch.,  i8ss-'6o ;  Grindstone  Hill,  Pa.,  1860. 

JOHM  KGIDIUS  HECKER,  b.  Dillenbe'rg,  Nassau;  d.  Northampton  co.,  Pa., 
1775.  Ordained  in  Europe.  Pastor  of  congregations  in  Northampton  co.,  Pa.  Inde- 
pendent. 

ELIAS  HEINER,  D.  D.,  b.  Taneytown,  Md.,  Sept.  16, 1810;  d.  Baltimore,  Md., 
Oct.  20,  1863.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.  Lie,  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1833.  Past. 
Emmittsburg,  Md.,  ch.,  i833~'35  ;  First  ch.,  Baltimore  Md.,  i835-'63.  Pub.  "  Sermon 
on  the  Life  of  Rev.  John  Cares  "  (1843) ;  "  Centenary  Sermon  "  (1850) ;  "  Memoir  of 
Rev.  L.  Mayer,  D.  D.,"  as  an  Introduction  to  his  History  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  (1851)  :  "  Reminiscences  of  a  Quarter  of  a  Century  "  (1861). 

JOHN  C.  ALBERTUS  HELFFENSTEIN.  b.  Mossbach,  Palatinate,  Feb. 
16,  1748;  d.  Germantown,  Pa.,  May  17,  1790.  Son  of  Peter,  Church  Inspector  at 
Simshcim.  Studied  at  Heidelberg.  Came  to  America  in  1772,  with  his  step-brother 
Rev.  J.  H.  Helffrich  and  Rev.  J.  G.  Gebhard.  Past.  Germantown,  Pa.,  1772-' 75; 
Lancaster,  Pa.,  1 776-' 79  ;  Germantown,  (2d  time)  i779-'9o.  Several  volumes  of  his 
sermons  hare  been  published. 

SAMUEL.  HELFFENSTEIN,  D.  D.,  eldest  son  of  J.  C.  Albertus  ;  b.  German- 
town,  Pa.,  Apr.  17,  1775;  d.  North  Wales,  Pa.,  Oct.  17,  1866.  Preceptor,  Dr.  \V. 
Hendel,  Sr.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1796;  ord.,  1797.  Past.  Boehm's  ch.,  Montgomery 
co.,  Pa.,  1 796-' 99  ;  Race  st.  ch.,  1799-1831.  Sup.  Lower  Saucon,  i833-*37;  w.  c., 
i837-'66.  Author  of"  Didactic  Theology,"  and  many  pamphlets.  See  page  279. 

CHARLES  HELFFENSTEIN,  third  son  of  J.  C.  Albertus ;  b.  Germantown, 
Pa.,  Mar.  29,  1781;  d.  Reading,  Pa.,  Dec.  19,  1842.  Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker. 
Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1801.  Past.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  1801 ;  Goshenhoppen,  1802; 
Ephrata,  ab.  i8o3-'o8;  Hanover  and  Berlin,  York  co.,  ab.  i8o8-*26;  Rockingham 
co.,  Va. ;  Mechanicsburg,  Pa.,  i83o-'34;  w.  c.,  .834-'42. 

JONATHAN  HELFFENSTEIN,  fourth  son  of  J.  C.  Albertus:  b.  Geimantown, 
Pa.,  Jan.  19,  1784;  d.  Frederick,  Md.,  Sept.  29,  1829.  Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker. 
Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1805;  ord.,  1807.  Past.  Carlisle,  Pa.,  i8os-'n;  Frederick,  Md., 
i8u-'29. 

ALBERT  HELFFENSTEIN,  Sr.,  fifth  son  of  J.  C.  Albertus;  b.  Germantown, 
Mar.  13,  1788;  d.  Shamokin,  Pa.,  Jan.  30,  1869.  Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker.  Lie. 
and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1808.  Past.  New  Goshenhoppen,  Pa.,  i8o8-'n;  Carlisle,  Pa., 


NECROLOGY. 

iSti-'ig;  First  ch.,  Baltimore,  Md.,  iSig-'ss.     Removed  to  Ohio,  1835.     Entered  P. 
E.  Church,  1836.     Returned  to  the  Reformed  Ch.,  1851.     Past.  Elizabethtown,  Pa., 
iSsi-'ss;  w.  c.,  iSss-'og. 
SAMUEL  HELFFENSTEIN,  Jr.,  eldest  son  of  Dr.  Samuel;  b.  Philada.,  Jan. 

13,  1800;  d.  North  Wales,  Pa.,  May  21,  1869.    Grad.  University  Pa.,  1820.    Stud. 
Theology  with  his  father  and  at  New  Brunswick.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1822. 
Past.  Shepherds  town,  Va.,  etc.,  i822-*25;  Assistant,  Frederick,  Md.,  i825-'28;  w.  c., 
t828-'34;  Boehm's  ch.,  etc.,  1834-' 44;  w.  c.,  1844-69'. 

ALBERT  HELFFENSTEIN,  Jr.,  second  son  of  Dr.  Samuel;  b.  Philada.,  Mar. 

14,  1801;  d.  North  Wales,  Pa.,  Sept.  12,  1870.     Grad.  Univ.  Pa.,  1820.     Preceptor, 
Dr.  Samuel  Helffenstein.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1822.     Asst.  in  Phila.,  1822. 
Past.  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  1824- ab.  1830;   Germantown,  1830-' 36;    Hagerstown,  Md., 
iS4o-*43;  Third  ch.,  Phila.,  i843-*46.     Sup.  New  Holland  chg.,  Pa.,  iSsa-'sS;  May- 
town,  Pa.,  i859-'6o  ;  w.  c.,  1860-' 70.  » 

JACOB  HELFFENSTEIN,  D.  D.,  third  son  of  Dr.  Samuel ;  b.  Phila.,  1802;  d. 
Germantown,  Pa.,  Mar.  17,  1884.  During  his  pastorate,  and  mainly  through  his  influ- 
ence, the  congregation  at  Germantown,  Pa.,  was  alienated  from  the  Reformed  Church. 

JOHN  HENRY  HELFFERICH  (HelffricK),  b.  Moszbach,  Ger.,  Oct.  22, 
1739;  d.  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  5,  1810.  Stud,  at  Heidelberg.  Sent  to  America  by 
Synods  of  Holland,  1772.  Past.  Weissenburg,  Lowhill,  Heidelberg,  Kutztown,  and 
other  churches  in  Lehigh  and  Berks  cos.,  1772-1810. 

JOHN  HELFFERICH  (Helffrich),  son  of  John  Henry;  b.  Weissenburg,  Lehigh 
CO.,  Pa.,  Jan.  17,  1795;  d.  there,  April  8, 1852.  Preceptor,  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.  Lie., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1816;  ord.,  1819.  Past.  Weissenburg,  Lowhill,  etc.  (part  of  his  father's 
charge),  i8i6-*5i. 

ERASMUS  H.  HELFRICH,  b.  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  d.  Philada.  Stud.  Mercers- 
burg.  Lie.  and  ord.,  East  Pa.  Cl.,  1848.  Past.  Northampton  co.,  Pa.,  i848-*57. 
Deposed  1858. 

JEREMIAH  HELLER,  b.  — ,  Oct.  22,  1807;  d.  New  Jefferson,  O.,  Nov.  3, 
1876.  Theol.  Sem.  York,  Pa.  Lie.,  Maryland  Cl.,  1837;  ord.,  1838.  Past.  Pendle- 
ton  co.,  Va.,  i838-*47;  McConnellsburg,  Pa.,  i847-'si ;  St.  Clairsville,  Pa.,  i8si-'56; 
Martinsburg,  Pa.,  iSso-'sS  ;  Fremont,  O.,  i8s8-'64;  Jenner's  Cross  Roads,  Pa.,  1864- 
'67;  Sydney  and  Tarlton,  O.,  i867~'7i ;  Hillsboro,  O.,  1873;  Germano,  O.,  1875; 
New  Jefferson,  1876. 

WILLIAM  HENOEL,  Sr.,  D.  D.,  b.  Palatinate,  Ger.;  d.  Philada.,  Sept.  29 
1798.  Ord.  in  Germany.  Sent  to  America  by  the  Synods  of  Holland,  1764.  Past. 
Lancaster,  Pa.,  ij65-'fx);  Tulpehocken,  i76g-'82 ;  Lancaster,  i782-*94;  Philada., 
i794-'98.  Died  of  yellow  fever.  See  page  213. 

WILLIAM  HENDEL,  Jr.,  D.  D.,  son  of  the  preceding;  b.  Lancaster,  Pa.,  Oct. 
14,  1768;  d.  Womelsdorf,  Pa.,  July  u,  1846.  Grad.  Columbia  Col.,  N.  Y. ;  Theol. 
Sem.,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  Also  instructed  by  Drs.  Gros  and  Livingston.  Lie., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1792;  ord.,  1793.  Past.  Tulpehocken,  Pa.,  1793-1823;  Womelsdorf,  1823- 
'29  ;  w.  c.,  i829~'46. 

JOHN  CHARLES  HENEMAN,  b.  Harhausen,  Nassau,  Ger.,  June  4,  1815;  d. 
Glade,  Jackson  co.,  O.,  Sept.  14,  1884.  Stud.  Mission  House,  Barmen;  Theol.  Sem., 
Mercersburg.  Lie.  and  ord.  Westmoreland  Cl.,  1848.  Past.  Jefferson  co.,  etc.,  Pa., 
i848-'si ;  Brown  co.,  O.,  1851-' 52  ;  Columbus,  O.,  1852-' 56  ;  Beaver  ch.,  O.,  i8s7-'84. 

FREDERICK  L.  HENOP,  b.  Germany,  — ;  d.  Frederick,  Md.,  1784.  Past. 
Easton,  Pa.,  ab.  i764-'7o;  Frederick,  Md.,  i77O-'84.  Accepted  a  call  to  Reading, 
Pa.,  but  died  suddenly. 


NECROLOGY.  397 

AUSTIN  HENRY,  b.  near  West  Alexandria,  O.,  Aug.  17, 1845  ;  d.  Canal  Winches- 
ter, O.,  April  6,  1885.     Grad.  Heid.  Col.,   1870.     Theol.   Sem.,  Tiffin,  1872.     Lie., 

Syn.  of  O. ;  ord.,  Lancaster  Cl.,  O.,  1872.     Past.  Kinnick-Kinnick  chg.,O.,  i872-'82; 

Winchester  chg.,  iSSa-'Ss.     President  of  Synod  of  Ohio  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
FREDERICK   LEBRECHT   HERMAN,  D.  D.  (Herrmann},  b.   Gusten, 

Anhalt-Cothen,  Ger.,  Oct.  9,  1761;  d.  Upper  Hanover,  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  Jan. 

30,   1848.     Stud.   Univ.  of  Halle.     Assistant  pastor  at   Bremen,   i782-'85.     Sent   to 

America  by  Synods  of  Holland,  1786.     Past.  Easton,  Pa.,  1786- '90;  Germantown  and 

Frankford,  1790-1802;  Falkner  Swamp,  Pottstown,  etc.,  1802- ab.  '42.     Pub.  "  Cate- 

chismus,"  etc.     See  page  272. 
CHARLES  GEBLER  HERMAN,  eldest  son  of  Dr.  F.  L. ;   b.  Germantown, 

Pa.,  Oct.,  24,  1792;  d.  Maxatawny,  Berks  Co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  4,  1863.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn. 

U.  S.,  1810.     Past.  Kutztown,  etc.,  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  i8io-'6i.     Pub.  "  Der  Sanger  am 

Grabe,"  etc. 
FREDERICK  A.  HERMAN,  second  son  of  Dr.  F.  L. ;  b.  Germantown,  1795  ; 

d.  Turbotville,  Pa.,  Oct.  30,  1849.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1815:  ord.,  1818.     Past.  New 

Holland,  Pa.,  i8i8-'2i.     Suspended,  1821. 
AUGUSTUS  L.  HERMAN,  third  son  of  Dr.  F.  L. ;  b.  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  June 

ii,  1804;   d.  Reading,  Pa.,  Dec.  31,  1872      Lie.,  "Free  Synod,"  1822;  ord.,  1823. 

Past.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  i823-'72.     Published  Zollikofer's  "  Prayer-Book." 
REUBEN  T.  HERMAN,  fourth  son  of  Dr.  F.  L.  ;  b.  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  — ;  d. 

Norristown,  Pa., — ;  Ord.   "Free  Synod,"  1829.     Past.  Baumstown,  etc.,  1829-' 36. 

Subsequently  without  charge. 
LEWIS  C.  HERMAN,  fifth  son  of  Dr.  F.  L. ;  b.  New  Hanover,  Montgomery  co., 

Pa.,  Oct.  13,  1813;  d.  Carlisle,  Pa.,  July  13,  1884.     Lie.,  "Free  Syn.,"  1831;  ord., 

1833.     Past.  Friedensburg,  Pa.,   i833-'38;  Pottstown,  1838. 
OSCAR  C.  S.  HERMAN  (son  of  Rev.  J.  S.  Herman,  and  great-grandson  of  Dr.  F. 

L.) ;  b.  Kutztown,  Pa.,  Dec.  2,  1848;  d.  Sept.  5,  1873.     Grad.  F.  and  M.  Col.,  1869  ; 

Theol.  Sem.,  Lancaster,  1872.     Lie.,  E.  Pa.  Cl.,  1872. 
WILLIAM  HERR,  b.  Allen  co.,  Ind.,  Aug.  i,  1848;  d.  Prospect,  O.,  Sept.  19, 

1878.     Grad.  Heidelberg  Col.,  1872.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1873.     Past.  Broken  Sword  eh., 

i873-*77;  Second  Marion  ch.,  1877-' 78. 
DANIEL  HERTZ,  b.  Dauphin  co.,  Pa.,  Apr.  23,  1796';  d.  Ephrata,  Pa.,  Sept.  22, 

1868.     Preceptor,  Dr.  S.   Helffenstein.     Lie.,  Syn.   U.  S.,  1823;  ord.,  1824.     Past. 

Ephrata  chg.,  Lancaster  co.,  Pa.,  i823~'68.     His  charge- for  many  years  included  a 

great  part  of  the  present  Bethany  and  New  Holland  charges. 
HENRY  HESS,  b.  Bucks  CO.,  Pa.,  Jan.  21,  1811;  d.  near  Mansfield,  O.,  Aug.  12, 

1875.     Stud.  Theol.  Sem.,  Canton,  O.,  1838.     Past.  New  Lisbon,  O. ;  Trumbull  co. ; 

Delaware.     Entered  the  Presb.  Ch.     After  eight  years  returned  to  the  Reformed  Ch. 

Then  past.  Delaware  (2d  time),  Galion,  Lame,  Shelby,  Mansfield ;  Pleasant  Valley. 

Bucks  co.,  Pa.,  1868-' 74. 
SAMUEL  HESS,  b.  Northampton  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  25, 1804  ;  d.  Hellertown,  Pa.,  Nov. 

23>  '875.     Preceptor,  Dr.  J.  C.  Becker.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1827.     Past.  Blue 

ch,,  Apple's,  etc..  i827-'68. 
HENRY  HIESTAND.    In  1812  he  was  an  itinerant  preacher  of  the  "United 

Brethren  in  Christ."     Lie.  and.  ord.,  Syn.  of  Ohio,  1828.     Miss,  to  New  Orleans, 

1830.     Spent  several  years  in  Europe.     Having  been  dropped  from  the  roll  for  absence, 

he  appeared  before  the  Syn.  of  O.,  in  1836,  and  was  reinstated.    Was  permitted  to 

return  to  Europe  and  remain  a  member  of  the  Synod.     Revivalist. 


393 


NECROLOGY. 


WILLIAM  IIIESTER,  b.  Bern  township,  Berks  Co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  it,  1870;  d.  Leb- 
anon,  Pa.,  Feb.  8,  1828.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Daniel  Wagner.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S..  1798; 
ord.,  1799.  Past.  Lancaster  co.,  Pa.,  1798-1808  ;  Lebanon,  etc.,  1800-' 2,8. 

JOHN  II1L.LEGAS,  b.  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  12,  1800;  d.  Carollton,  O., 
June  28,  1828.  Removed  to  Ohio,  with  his  parents,  1816.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Geo. 
Weiss.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1826.  Past.  Carrollton,  O.,  i826-'28. 

JESSE  HIKES,  b.  York,  Pa.,  Nov.  2,  1806;  d.  Reedsburg,  O.,  Jan.  29,  1879. 
Preceptor,  Rev.  J.  Schlosser.  Lie.,  Sandusky,  cl.,  1845  ;  ord.  Columbians  Cl.,  1846. 
Past.  Reedsburg,  O.,  i846-'55  ;  Nankin,  1856.  Johnson's  Corner,  1862  ;  Hiawatha, 
Kansas,  1870.  Afterward  resided  at  Akron,  and  Reedsburg,  O. 

L.EBRECHT  Lu  HINSCH,  b.  Antialt-Cothen,  Ger.,  1769;  d.  Piqua,  O.,  Aug. 
1864 ;  aged  95  years.  Stud.,  Univ.  of  Halle.  Lie.  at  Bremen,  1789.  Sent  to  America 
by  the  Synod  of  Holland,  1793.  Ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1794.  Past.  Creagerstown,  Md., 
1794-1804.  Arendt's  ch.,  Adams  Co.,  Pa.,  1804-' 34;  Piqua,  Miami  co.,  O.,  1834-43; 
w.  c.,  1843-64. 

JOHN  JACOB  HOCK,  First  settled  Reformed  minister  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  1736- 
'37- 

JOHN  JACOB  HOCHREUTINER,  b.  St.  Gall,  Switzerland  ;  d.  Phil.,  Oct. 
14,  1748.  Sent  to  America  by  Synods  of  Holland,  1748.  Received  a  call  from  Lancas- 
ter, but  was  killed  by  the  explosion  of  a  gun  which  he  was  attempting  to  unload. 

HENRY  HOEGER,  A  Swiss  minister  who  accompanied  De  Graffenried's  Swiss 
colony  which  in  1710  founded  Newberne,  N.  C.  Subsequently  resided  in  Virginia. 

THEODORE  L.  HOFFEDITZ,  D.  !>.,  b.  Karlshaven,  Hesse-Cassel,  Ger., 
Dec.  16,  1783  ;  d.  Nazareth,  Pa.,  Aug.  10,  1858.  Came  to  America,  1807.  Preceptor, 
Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1812;  ord.,  1815.  Mt.  Bethel  ch.,  etc.,  181.2- 
'58.  Commissioner  to  Germany,  1843-' 44. 

THEODORE  C.  W  HOFFEDITZ,  son  of  Dr.  T.  L.,b.  Upper,  Mount  Bethel, 
Northampton  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  26,  1818;  d.  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  Feb.  3,  1859.  Grad.  M. 
Col.;  1840;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1842.  Past.  Hamilton  chg.,  i842-'45.  Subse- 
quently without  charge  or  account  of  impaired  health. 

EMANUEL,  H.  HOFFHEINS,  b.  Dover  tsp.,  York  co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  18,  1815;  d. 
Abbotstown,  Pa.,  Mar.  28,  1863,  Stud.  Pennsylvania  Col.,  Gettysburg;  Theol.  Sem., 
York,  Pa.  Lie.  Zion's  Cl.,  1839;  ord.  Susquehanna  Cl.,  1839.  Past.,  Beaver  Dam 
ch.,  Snyder  co.,  Pa.,  l839~'4o;  Elizabethtown,  1840-' 50;  New  Providence,  i85o-'52; 
Abbotstown,  i852-'63. 

ANDREW  HOFFMAN,  b.  Bingen,  Ger.,—  ;  d.  Upper  Hanover,  Montgomery 
co.,  Pa.,  — ;  Past.  McKeansburg,  Pa.,  1832-' 34;  Falkener  Swamp  ch.,  1834.  De- 
posed, 1844. 

DANIEL.  HOFFMAN,  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1796. 

HENRY  HOFFMAN,  b.  Chester  co.,  Pa.,  July  7,  1814;  d.  Monroeville,  Clarion 
co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  27,  1879.  Grad.  Marshall  Col,,  1842;  Theol.  Sem.,  1843.  Lie., 
Lebanon  Cl.,  1845  ;  ord.,  Westmoreland  Cl.,  1846.  Past.  Beaver  chg.,  Clarion  co.,  Pa., 
i84O-'55  ;  Shamokin  chg.,  1855-' 58 ;  Berwick  Conyngham,  1858-' 70;  Shannor.dale 
chg.,  Clarion  co.,  1870-' 75;  Beaver  chg.,  (2d  time)  1875-' 79. 

JAMES  HOFFMAN,  brother  of  Daniel ;  b.  Madison  co.,  Va.,  1760;  d.  Mansfield, 
O.,  Aug.  2,  1834.  Lie.  and  ord..  Syn.  U.  S.,  1796.  Past.  Woodstock,  Va. ;  Cliam- 
bersburg,  Pa.  (till  1818),  and  Shippen--burg,  etc.,  till  ab.  1823.  Removed  to  Ohio,  1826. 

JOHN  HENRY  IIOFFMEIER,  b.  Anhalt-Cothen,  Ger.,  Mar.  17,  1760.  d. 
Lancaster,  Pa.,  Mar.  18,  i  36.  atud.  Univ  of  Halle..  Lie.  in  Bremen,  Ger.;  ord. 


NECROLOGY.  399 

Syn.  U.  S.,  1794.  Came  to  America  1793.  Past.  Lower  Saucon,  etc.,  Northampton 
co.,  Pa.,  1794-1806;  Lancaster,  Pa.,  i8o6-'3i. 

CHARLES  FREDERICK  HOFFMEIER,  eldest  son  of  Rev.  John  Henry  ; 
b.  Hellertown,  Pa.,  Sept.  24,  1803  ;  d.  Lancaster,  Pa.,  Apr.  19, 1877.  Preceptor,  Rev. 
Dr.  G.  W.  Glessner.  Lie.,  Lebanon  Cl.,  1843;  ord.,  Zion's  Cl.,  1843.  Past.  New- 
ville  chg.,  Pa.,  1843;  Bender's  ch.,  Adams  co.,  i843-'47;  Minersville  and  Pottsville, 
1847-' 49  ;  Womelsdorf,  Eng.,  i849-'s2;  Palmyra  chg.,  iSso-'sa;  Somerset,  i852-'s6; 
Friend's  Cove,  i8s6-'62 ;  McConnelsburg,  i862-'6s ;  Rebersburg,  i866-'68  ;  New  Be; - 
lin,  i868-'69;  Armstrong  Valley,  1869-' 70;  Liverpool  chg.,  1870-' 72;  Lnthersburg 
chg.,  1872-' 75.  Resided  Duncannon,  Pa.,  1875,  and  in  Lancaster. 

JOHN  WILLIAM  HOFFMEIER,  son  of  John  Henry;  b.  Lancaster,  Pa., 
Feb.  29,  1808;  d.  Manchester,  Md.,  Aug.  30,  1873.  Theol.  Sem.,  Yoik,  Pa.,  1833. 
Lie.  and  ord.,  Maryland  Cl.,  1833.  Past.  Glade  chg.,  Md.,  i833-*37;  Boonsboro, 
i837-'43;  Woodstock,  Va.,  i843-'45  ;  Orwigsburg,  Pa.,  i845-'s6;  Millersville,  near 
Lancaster,  i856-'62;  Manchester,  Md.,  i872-'73. 

HENRY  D.  HOUTZ,  stud.  Heid.  Col.,  i865-'67;  Theol.  Sem.,  Tiffin,  i867-'6p. 
Lie.,  1869.  Accepted  a  call  to  Boundary  City  chg.,  Ind.,  but  died  suddenly. 

JOHN  HO  YMAN,  b.  Somerset  co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  28,  1811  ;  d.  Delaware  co.,  O.,  Aug. 
16,  1867.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Wm.  Conrad.  Lie.,  Westmoreland  Cl.,  1850;  ord.,  1852. 
Past.  Shade  ch.,  Pa.,  i85o-'56;  Orangeville,  111.,  i856-'66;  Second  Marion  ch.,  O., 
i866-'67. 

CHARLES  W.  HOYMAN,  son  of  Rev.  John;  b.  Wellersburg,  Somerset  co.,  Pa., 
Nov.  4,  1834:  d.  Somerset,  O.,  Feb.  10,  1879.  Grad.  Heid.  Col.,  1857;  Theol.  Sem., 
Tiffin.  O.,  1858.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1858.  Past.  Somerset,  O.,  1858-' 77.  Without  charge, 
from  impaired  health,  1877-' 79. 

F.  HUNSCHE,  d.  Holmes  co.,  O.,  1874.     Ord.,  1860. 

HERMAN  GERHARD  IBBEKEN,  b.  Rasteder,  Oldenburg,  Ger.,  Jan.  25, 
1801  ;  d.  Somerset,  Pa.,  Feb.  8,  1844.  Stud.  Giessen  and  Halle.  Came  to  America, 
1830.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1830.  Past.  Somerset,  Bedford,  Erie  and  Crawford 
cos.,  Pa.,  i83i-*44. 

JOHN  WILLIAM  INGOLD,  b.  Ger..  Came  to  America,  1774.  Past.  Whitpain 
and  Worcester;  Boehm'sch.  ;  Easton  and  Lower  Saucon ;  Indianfield  and  Old  Gosh- 
enhoppen,  1789;  Amity,  Berks  co.,  i79i-'96. 

JOHN  M.  INGOLD,  son  of  Rev.  John  William';  d.  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  1824.  Lie.  and 
ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1815.  Past,  of  two  congregations  in  or  near  Pittsburg. 

MATTHEW  IRVIN,  b.  Cumberland  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  22,  1817:  d.  Bedford,  Pa., 
Apr.  21,  1857.  Preceptor,  Dr.  A.  H.  Kremer.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Mercerscurg  Cl.,  1843. 
Past.  Bedford  co..  Pa.,  i843~'55. 

JOSEPH  H.  JOHNSTON,  b.  Wavnesboro,  Pa.,  Aug.  30,  1832;  d.  Mount  Pleas- 
ant, Pa.,  Aug.  26,  1863.  Grad.  F.  and  M.  Col.,  1859;  Theol.  Sem.,  1861.  Lie., 
Westmoreland  Cl.,  1861.  Prof.  Westmoreland  Col. 

JAMES  W.  JONES,  lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1836.  License  revoked  1837.  Resided  in 
North  Carolina. 

GARDINER  JONES,  lie.,  1841.     Prof,  in  Marshall  College. 

WILLIAM  KALS.  An  old  minister  who  came  from  London,  in  1756,  with  recom- 
mendations from  Dr.  Chandler.  Sup.  Phila.,  i756-'57;  Amwell  N.  J.,  1757; 
German  churches  on  the  Raritan,  1758-' 59  ;  New  York  city,  i759~'6o. 

IBUAHAM  KELLER,  b.  Hanover,  Pa.,  Aug.  10,  1810  ;  d.  Bucyrus,  O.,  Sept.  i 


40O  NECROLOGY. 

'1852.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1835.  Past.  Shanesville,  O.,  i835-'4O ; 
Osnaburg,  1840-' 48  ;  Bucyrus,  i848-'52. 

CHRISTIAN  KELLER,  b.  Schleitheim,  Switz.,  Oct.  6,  1834;  d.  Bridesburg, 
Pa.,  Feb.  2,  1883.  Ed.  St.  Crischona,  near  Basel,  Switz.  Ord.  and  sent  as  mission- 
ary to  Chili,  S.  A.  Labored  7  years  and  then  returned  to  his  native  country.  Came 
to  North  America,  1872.  Past.  Bridesburg,  near  Phikx. 

JACOB  B.  KELLER,  b.  Carlisle,  Pa.,  Dec.  5,  1825;  d.  Carlisle,  Pa.,  Dec.  28, 
1858.  Grad.  Dickinson  Col.,  1846;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1850.  Lie.  Zion's 
Cl.,  1850;  ord.  Phila.  Cl.,  1850.  Past.  Boehm's  ch  ,  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  iS5o-'56  ; 
Sulphur  Springs,  near  Carlisla,  1856. 

JOHN  KELLER,  b.  ab.  1800;  d.  Townline,  Erie,  CO.,  N.  Y.,  May  21,  1852.  Pre- 
ceptor, Rev.  Geo.  Weisz.  Lie.  and  orJ.,  Syn.  O.,  1827.  Past.  Townline,  1852. 

DAVID  W.  KELLY,  b.  Wrightsville,  Pa.,  Jan.  15,  1833;  d.  Manchester,  Md., 
Feb.  3,  1877.  Stud.  Heid.  Col.;  Theol.  Sem.,  Tiffin,  O.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1858. 
Past.  Bellevue,  O.,  i8s8-'6o ;  Shelby  chg.,  i86o-'63 ;  New  Bloomfield,  Pa.,  i863~'67; 
Bellefonte,  i867~'68;  Turbotville,  1868-' 70;  Shamokin,  1870-' 74;  Manchester,  Md., 
1874-76. 

ADAM  C.  KENDIG,  b.  Conestoga  Centre,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa.,  Jan.  8,  1828;  d. 
Basil,  O.,  Jan.  16,  1864.  Grad.  F.  &  M.  Col.,  1856  ;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  Pa. 
Lie.  and  ord.,  Miami  Cl.,  1857.  Syn.  of  O.  Past.  West  Alexandria,  i858-'6i  ;  Basil 
ch.,  i863-'64. 

JOHN  MICHAEL  KERN,  b.  Ger.,  1736;  d.  Rockhill  township,  Bucks  co.,  Pa., 
Mar.  22,  1788.  Ord.  in  Germany.  Sent  to  America  by  consistory  of  Heidelberg, 
1763.  Past.,  Nassau  street  ch.,  New  York  City,  1763-' 72;  Montgomery,  N.  Y., 
i772-'78.  Loyalist.  Resided  in  Halifax,  i772-'88.  Returned,  1788,  and  accepted  ,a 
call  to  Bucks  co./Pa.,  but  died  the  same  year. 

CHRISTIAN  KESSLER,  b.  Schiers,  Switzerland,  Nov.  13,  1845 ;  d.  Lehighton, 
Pa.,  May  26,  1874.  Came  to  America,  with  his  parents,  1847.  Grad.  F.  &  M.  Col., 
1871;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1872.  Lie.  1871;  ord.,  Lebanon  Cl,  1872.  Past. 
St.  John's,  Reading,  Pa.,  187-^-' 73;  Lehighton,  1873-' 74. 

JOHN  S.  KESSLER,  D.  D.,  b.  Schiers,  Switzerland,  Aug.  19,  1799  ;  d.  Allen- 
town,  Pa.,  Dec.  22,  1864.  Univ.  of  Basel,  1821.  Past.  Davos,  Switz.,  i82i-'40. 
Came  to  America,  1841.  Past,  near  Woodstock,  Va.,  i84i-'45  ;  Asst.  Past.,  Read- 
ing, Pa.,  i845-'47 ;  Fourth  ch.,  Baltimore,  Md.,  1847-' 54.  Subsequently  engaged  in 
teaching,  and  preached  to  several  congregations,  near  Allentown,  Pa.  Left  in  MS. 
"  Bible  Diotonary,"  unfinished. 

CHRISTIAN  RUDOLPH  KESSLER,  only  son  of  Dr.  John  S.,  b.  Davos, 
Switzerland,  Feb.  20.,  1823;  d.  Allentown,  Pa.,  Mar.  4.  1855.  Stud.  Cantonal  school, 
Chur  ;  Univ.  of  Leipsic.  Came  to  America,  1841.  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1843. 
Lie.  and  ord.,  Va.  Cl.,  1843.  Past.  Pendleton  co.,  Va.,  i843-*44  ;  Asst.  Past.,  Salem's 
ch.,  Phila.,  i844-'46.  Founded  the  "Allentown  Seminary,"  1848. 

S.  NEVIN  L.  KESSLER.  only  son  of  Rev.  C.  R.,  b.  Phila.,  April  7,  1846;  d. 
Mulberry,  Ind.,  April  15,  1879;  Grad.  Heidelberg  Col.,  1867;  Theol.  Sem.,  Tiffin, 
O.,  :868.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Tiffin  Cl.,  1868.  Past.  Liberty  Centre  chg.,  O.,  i868-'o9; 
Mulberry,  Ind.,  i869-'79. 

NATHAN  H.  KEYES,  b.  Toilton  N.  H.;  d.  Princeton,  Ills.,  Mar.  28,  1857. 
Grad.  Dartmouth  col.,  1835  ;  Theol.  Sem.,  Andover,  Mass.  Missionary  to  Syria, 
1840-' 44.  Entered  Reformed  ch.,  1847.  Past  St.  Paul's,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  i847-'s5. 
Congregational  ch.,  Princeton.  Ill  ,  iS5=-'57. 


NECROLOGY.  4<DI 

RUDOHPH  KITWEILER,  (Kidcnweiler)\>.  Switzerland,  Jan.  1717;  d.  Great 

Swamp,  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  2.   1764.     Past.   Long  Swamp  chg.,  i7s6-'63;  Great 

Swamp  chg.,  1763-64. 
DANIEL  J.  H.  KIEFFER,  Lie.  Syn.  U.  S.,  1818;  ord.,  1819.     Past.  Somerset 

co.,  Pa.,  i8i8--36.     Name  erased,  1836. 
EPHRAIM  KIEFFER,  b.  near  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  Jan  17, 1812 ;  d.  Carlisle,  Pa., 

May    n,   1871.      Theol.   Sem.,  York,  Pa.,  1836.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.,  S.  1836. 

Past.  Bcllefonte  chg.,  Pa.,  1836-' 40;  Mifflinbui-g,  i84o-'57;  Lykens  Valley,  i857~'64; 

\v.  c.,  i864-'66  ;  Sulphur  Springs,  near  Carlisle,  1866-  70. 
HENRY  KING,  b.  Rochingham  co.,  Va.,  Oct.  23,  1802  ;  d.  Baltimore,  O.,  Jan.  25, 

1885.     Preceptor,  Rev.  Geo.  Weisz.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.    O.,  1825,     Past.   Tarlton 

etc.,  O.,  i82S-'49;  Somerset  chg.,  (supply);  Union  chg.,  i857-'6g.     Supplied  Stouts- 

ville,  etc. 

JOHN  GEORGE  KISSEL,  b,  Apr.  n,  1798;  d.  South  Whitley,  Ind.,  Oct.  27, 
1874.  Lie.  and  ord.,  St.  Joseph  Cl.,  Syn.  of  Ohio,  1854.  Miss.  Colon,  Mich.  Past. 
Auburn,  Ind. ;  South  Whitley,  Ind. 

PHILIP  KLEIN,  lie.,  Phila.   Cl.,  1849.     Name  erased,  1850. 

CHARLES  KNAUS  (Knouse],  b.  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.  (?)  — ;  d.  New  York  city, 
1862(7).  Preceptor,  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.  Ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1821.  Past.  Macungie, 
Pa.,  1823;  New  York  city,  i823~'27.  Entered  Ref.  D.  Ch.  Past.  Manhattan  ch., 
N.  Y.  city,  i829-*33  ;  w.  c.,  1862. 

HENRY  KNEPPER,  b.  Somerset  co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  25,  1812;  d.  Orangeville,  111., 
Aug.  2,  1879.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1841. 

JESSE  B.  KNIPE,  b.  near  North  Wales,  Pa.,  Sept.  12, 1804;  d.  Chester  co.,  Pa., 
June  18,  1884.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Geo.  Wock.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1830.  Past. 
Pikeland  chg.,  i83o-'83. 

HENRY  HERMAN  KNOEBEL,  ord.  in  Germany.  Conditionally  received, 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1820.  Past.  Schuylkill  and  Northumberland  cos.,  Pa.,  i822-'38.  De- 
posed, 1839. 

PHILIP  KNOEPFEL,  received  by  Syn.  U.  S.,  1831.  Miss,  to  Western  N.  Y. 
Returned  to  Germany. 

HKNRY  KOCH,  b.  Northampton  co.,  Pa.,  1795;  d.  Rimersburg,  Pa.,  Aug.  7,  1845. 
Grandson  of  Rev.  John  Egidius  Hecker.  Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker.  Lie.  and 
ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1819.  Past.  Clarion  co.,  Pa.,  i8i9-'45. 

ROBERT  KOEHLER,  b.  Ger.,  — ;  d.  Meadville,  Pa.,  Jan.  29,  1870.  Stud. 
Univ.  of  Jena.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Ref.  Ministerium  of  Belgium  ab.,  1833.  Came  to 
America  after  1838.  Past.  Mt.  Eaton,  O.  (Ger.  and  French),  1846;  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
i847-*49;  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  Rochester,  N.  Y.  ;  French  ch.,  Mt.  Eaton,  O.,  i853-'«2  ; 
Akron,  O.,  i862-'64.  Chaplain  io8th  Regt.  Ohio  Volunteers,  i863-'65.  Miss.  Titus- 
ville,  Pa.,  1866.  Removed  to  Meadville,  Pa.,  1867,  and  became  independent. 

JOHN  R.  KOOKE  V,  b.  Centre  co.,  Pa.,  1815  ;  fell  at  the  battle  of  Fredericksbtirg, 
Va.,  Dec.  13,  1862.  Stud.  High  School,  York,  Pa.  ;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1841. 
Lie.  and  ord.,  Susquehanna  Cl.,  1841.  Past.  Dauphin  chg.,  i84i-*43;  Grindstonehill, 
i843~'44  ;  Trappe,  i844-'47;  Norristown,  i847-'52,  where  he  founded  the  Elmwood 
Female  Seminary  ;  was  Consul  at  Trinidad,  Cuba;  in  1862  he  entered  the  Union  army. 

STEPHEN  KIEFFER  KREMER,  son  of  Dr.  A.  H.  Kremer;  b.  Shippens- 
burg,  Pa.,  Feb.  i,  1845;  d.  Greencaxtle,  Pa.,  Aug.  16,  1876.     Grad.  F.  and  M.  Col., 
1865  ;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  .873.     Lie.,  Lancaster  Cl.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1870;  ord., 
Vireirii  Cl.,  1870.     Past.  Marti nsburg,  W.  Va.,  1870-' 74  ;  Greencastle,  1874-' 76. 
2) 


4O2  NECROLOGY. 

HENRY  KKOII,  b.  near  Womelsdorf,  Pa.,  June  17,  1799:  d.  Stockton,  Cal.,  Dec. 
15,  1869.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Jonathan  Helffenstein.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1824. 
Past.  Newtown  ch.,  Va.,  1824- ab.  1827;  Cavetown,  Md.,  i827-'2j;  Lebanon,  Pa., 
i82O-'36;  Mt.  Carmel,  ch.,  111.,  1836;  Evansville,  Ind.,  1842;  Jonesboro,  111.,  1844; 
Cincinnati,  O.,  r845-'48,  Removed  to  California,  1849. 

H.  K.ROLL,  b.  ab.  1780;  d.  Schuylkill  co.,  Pa.,  1845.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1810. 
License  revoked,  1811.  Preached  irregularly  in  Schuylkill  Co.,  Pa. 

EBERHARD  Kl'ELEX,  b.  — ;  d.  Dahlgren,  Minn.,  July  20,  1872. 

CHARLES  LANGE,  past.  Frederick,  Glades,  Taneytown,  etc.,  Md.,  i766-'68. 

JOHN  LANTZ,  b.  Lincoln  co.,  N.  C.,  May,  1811 ;  d.  Taneytown,  Md.,  Jan.  26, 
1873.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.,  1837.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1837  ord.,  North  Carolina 
Cl.,  1838.  Past.  Rowan  and  adjacent  cos.,  N.  C.,  i838-'68;  Middlebrook  chg.,  Va., 
i863-'72;  Taneytown,  Md.,  1872-' 73. 

JOHN  JACOB  LA  ROSE,  b.  Macungie  township,  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  Feb.,  1755: 
d.  Miamisburg,  O..  Nov.  17,  1844.  A  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  Lie.,  Presb. 
Ch.,  N.  C.,  1795;  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1821.  Past.  Guilford  co.,  N.  C.,  1795-1804.  Re- 
moved to  Ohio,  1804.  Montgomery  co.,  O.,  i8os-'t2  ;  Highland  co.,  i8i2-'i6;  Mont- 
gomery CO.,  i8i6-'i8;  Eaton,  i8i8-'23.  Engaged  extensively  in  missionary  labors, 
visiting  and  organizing  churches  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Kentucky. 

JOSEPH  LA  ROSE,  b.  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  ab.  1800;  d.  Bloomsburg,  Pa.,  — .  Pre- 
ceptor, Dr.  J.  C.  Becker.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1823.  Past.  Hummelstown, 
Pa.,  i823-F2<> ;  Bloomsburg,  Pa.,  1826- — . 

K.  L.ATIERER  (Launerer,  Launer,  and  Latter),  Admitted  to  "  Free  Synod  "  as  an 
ordained  minister,  1835.  Appointed  missionary  in  New  Jersey. 

ADAM  M.  LECHNER,  preceptor,  Rev.  J.  W.  Dechant.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1829. 
Past,  of  congregations  in  Herkimer  co.,  N.  Y. 

JACOB  M.  LE  FEVRE,  b.  Warren  co.,  O.,  Aug.  19,  1833;  d.  St.  Paris,  Cham- 
paign co.,  O.,  Apr.  2,  1882.  Stud.  Heid.  Col.  Lie.,  1855;  ord.,  1856.  Past.  Car- 
rollton  chg.,  O.,  i85O-'64;  Fairfield  ch.,  i864~'8o. 

JAMES  LEIBERT,  b.  Forks  twp.,  Northampton  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  14,  1836;  d.  Fre- 
mont, O.,  Nov.  13,  1870.  Preceptors,  Drs.  E.  W.  Reinecke  and  Max  Stern.  Theol. 
Sem.,  Tiffin,  O.  Lie.,  Tiffin  Cl.,  1862;  ord.,  Indiana  Cl.,  1863.  Past.  Dayton  chg., 
Ind.,  i863-'66;  Gallon,  Eng.,  i866-'68;  Fremont  ch.,  1868-' 70. 

GICORGE  LEIDY,  b.  Franconia  twp.,  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  7,  1793;  d. 
NorristOwn,  May  30,  1879.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Geo.  Wack.  Lie.,  Syn.  Q.  S.,  1818; 
ord.,  1819.  Miss,  in  Southern  States,  1819-' 20.  Past.  Woodstock,  Va.,  i82o-'23  ; 
Westminster,  Md.,  i823-*3i  ;  Cumberland  Valley,  Pa.,  i83i-'36;  Friend's  Cove  chg., 
i83o-'45.  Agent  for  Church  Periodicals. 

THOMAS  H.  LEINBACH,  b.  Oley,  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  Jan.  18,  1802;  d.  Millers- 
burg,  Pa.,  March  31,  1864.  Preceptor,  Dr.  F.  L.  Herman.  Lie.,  "Free  Synod," 
1822;  ord.,  1823.  Past.  Millbach,  etc.,  1822;  Tulpehocken  chg.,  i826-'64. 

CHARLES  H.  LEINBACH,  D.  D.,  younger  bro.  of  Thos.  H.  ;  b.  Oley,  Berks 
co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  7,  1815:  d.  Tulpehocken,  Pa.,  July  15,  1883.  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercers- 
burg,  1841.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1841.  Past.  Landisburg,  Pa.,  i842-'59;  Lewisburg,  1859- 
'64;  Tulpehocken,  i864-'83- 

JOHN  ADAM  LEISS,  b.  Tulpehocken,  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  8,  1807;  d.  near  Wer- 
nersville,  Pa.,  Oct.  28,  1877.  Preceptors,  Rev.  Thos.  Winters  and  Dr.  David  Win- 
ters. Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1835.  Past,  in  Ohio,  i835-'36;  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  1837- 


NECROLOGY.  403 

'38;  York  and  Cumberland  cos.,  i83&-'43 ;  Lyken's  Valley  ch.,  i843-*s6;  Ogle  CO., 
111.,  i8s6-'57;  Miamisburg,  O.,  i8s7-'67 ;  w.  c.,  i867~'77. 

S.-OICKL  B.  LEITER,  D.  D.,  b.  Leitersburg,  Md.,  Apr.  19,  1809;  d.  Wads- 
worth,  O.,  Mar.  31,  1883.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.,  1835.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Maryland 
Cl.,  1835.  Past.  Mansfield,  O.,  1835-' 44 ;  Rome,  Richland  CO.,  1844-' 49 ;  Navarre, 
1849-' 68;  Wadsworth,  i868~'83. 

GEORGE  A.  LEOPOLD,  — ;  d.  Cal.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.,  1832.  Lie.,  Syn. 
U.S.,  1832;  ord.,  i8;,3.  Past.  Rockingham  co.,  Va. ;  Winchester,  Va.  Suspended, 
1842. 

DANIEL  B.  LERCII,  b.  Pa.,  July  7,  1806;  d.  Cabarrus  co.,  N.  C.,  Mar.  18,  1834. 
Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa,,  1830.  Past.  Rowan  co.,  N.  C.,  1830-' 34. 

JOHN  W.  LESCHER,  b.  near  Easton,  Pa.,  May  23,  1817;  d.  Millersburg,  Pa., 
Jan.  27,  1875.  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1843.  Lie.  and  ord.,  East  Pa.  Cl.,  1844. 
Past.  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.;  Bloomsburg;  Selinsgrove ;  Lykens  Valley. 

JOHN  PHILIP  LEYDICH,  b.  Ger.,  April  28,  1715;  d.  Montgomery  co.,  Pa., 
Jan.  4,  1784.  Ord.  in  Germany.  Sent  to  America,  1748,  by  Synod  of  South  Holland. 
Past.  Falkener  Swamp,  etc.,  Pa.,  i748-'84. 

JACOB  LEYMEISTER  (Leymaster};  b.  — ;  d.  Orwisburg,  Pa.,  July  12,  1833. 
Theol.  Sem. .Carlisle,  Pa.,  1830.  Ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1831.  Past.  Zions  and  White 
Oak,  Lancaster  co.,  i83i-'33. 

JOHN  LEOPOLD  LICHTENSTEIN,  D.  D.,  b.  Hechingen,  Ger.,  Apr.  10, 
1813 ;  d.  Cincinnati,  O.,  Nov.  4,  1882.  Converted  from  Judaism  to  Christianity,  1834. 
Stud,  at  Erlangen  and  Berlin.  Received  the  degree  of  Dr.  of  Theology  from  the  Uni- 
versity of  Berlin,  1842.  Ord.  a  Reformed  minister,  1842.  Came  to  America.  1845. 
Entered  Presbyterian  Church.  Past.  Ger.  Presb.  ch.,  Paterson,  N.  J.,  i848-'si ;  New 
Albany,  Ind.,  1851-' 54.  Entered  Ref.  ch.  Past.  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  i8s4-'62 ;  First  Ref. 
ch.,  Cincinnati,  O.,  i862-'66.  Returned  to  Presb.  ch.  Past.  First  Ger.  Presb.  ch., 
Cincinnati,  1866-82.  A  prolific  author. 

CHARLES  LIENEK.EMPER,  b.  Iserlohn,  Westphalia,  Ger.,  Aug.  10.  1822  ;  d. 
Waukon,  Iowa,  Nov.  14.  1879.  Stud.  M.  Col.,  and  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg, 
Pa.  Lie.,  1854;  ord.,  St.  John's  Cl.,  1855.  Past.  Calcutta  chg.,  O.,  1855-' 59 ; 
Medina,  Wis.,  iSsg-'ds  ;  Lowell,  Wis.,  1867-' 73  ;  Waukon,  la.,  1873-79. 

JACOB  LISCH1T,  b.  Mulhausen,  Switz.— ;  d  York  co.,  Pa.,  1781.  Ord.  1743. 
Preached  in  Lancaster,  Berks,  and  York  cos.,  Pa.  Became  a  member  of  Coetus, 
1748.  Past.,  York,  Pa.,  etc.  Deposed  ab.  1760.  Published  several  pamphlets. 
See  page  94. 

ERICH.  F.  LOEDERS,  d.  Lafayette,  Ind.,  May  12,  1870,  aged  58  years.     Lie. 

and  ord.,  Sandusky  Cl.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1854.  Miss.  Auglaize  co.,  O.,  1854.  Past.  Dayton, 

O.,  Second  ch.,  i857-'6.2. 
DAVID  LONG,  b.  Lebanon   co.,  June  22,  1801  ;  d.   Somerset,  O.,  June  19,  1833. 

Preceptor,  Rev.  Geo.  Weiss.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1826.     Past.  Somerset  ch., 

O.,  i8z6-'33. 

GEORGE  LONG,  b.  — ,  Jan.  6,  1814";  d.  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Dec.  26,  1879. 
ANDREW  LORETZ.    Came  to  America,  1784  or  1785.    Past.  Tulpehocken,  etc., 

i78s-'86.     Returned  to  Switzerland. 
ANDREW  LORETZ,  son  of  the  preceding,  b.  Switzerland ;  d.  near  Lincolnton, 

N.  C.,  1812.     Ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1789.     Labored  in  North  and  South  Carolina. 
EDMUND  A.  LUDWIG,  PH.  D.,   b.    Berne,   Switzerland,  — ;  d.   Erie,   Pa., 


404  NECROLOGY. 

1880.    Educated  in  Europe.     Prof,  in  Washington  Col.,  Va.    Lie.,  East  Pa.  Cl.,  1868 
Remained  without  charge. 

LUDAVIG  ,liUPP,  b.  Europe,  Jan.  7,  1733 ;  d.  Lebanon,  Pa.,  June  28,  1798.  Past 
Lebanon,  Pa.,  i786-'98.  Also  preached  at  Manheim,  Maytown,  and  elsewhere. 

JOHN  B.  MADOTTLET,  d.  Burlington,  Ills.,  ab.  1855.  Ord.  1848.  Entered  R. 
D.  church,  1853. 

WILLIAM  H.  MAERTENS,  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1835';  ord.,Cl.  of  Md.,  1836.  Past. 
Washington  city  ch.,  1836. 

.1011  Y  P.  MAHNENSCHMIDT,  b.  Pennsylvania,  1783;  d.  Canfield,  O.,  July 
n,  1857.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1812;  ord.,  1817.  Preached  Westmoreland  CO.,  Pa.,  1806- 
'11.  Past.  Columbiana  and  adjoining  cos.,  O.,  i8i2-'s7. 

JOHN  MANN,  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1792.  Past.  Lower  Saucon  and  Spring- 
field, Pa.,  i792-'95.  Removed  to  Mt.  Bethel,  Pa.,  and  became  a  farmer,  1795.  Name 
erased,  1802. 

DAVID  MARTZ,  d.  Shanesville,  O.,  Feb.  19,  1849,  aged  36.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1845. 
Past.  Shanesville,  O.,  etc  ,  i845-'4g. 

JACOB  MAYER,  b.  Lykens  Valley,  Pa.,  Sept.  15,  1798;  d.  Lock  Haven,  Pa., 
Oct.  29,  1872.  Preceptors,  Rev.  J.  R.  Reilyand  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.  Lie.  and  ord., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1822.  Past.  Woodstock,  Va.,  i822-'25 ;  Shrewsbury,  Pa.,  i82.<;-'33 ; 
Mercersburg  and  Greencastle,  i833~'36.  Agent  of  Theol.  Sem.  for  8  years.  Subse- 
quently without  charge. 

LEWIS  MAYER,  D.  D.,  b.  Lancaster,  Pa.,  Mar.  26,  1783;  d.  York,  Pa.,  Aug. 
25,  1849.  Preceptor,  Rev:  Daniel  Wagner.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1807;  ord.,  1808. 
Past.  Shepherdstowm,  Va.,  i8o8-'2i ;  York,  Pa..  i82i-*25.  First  Prof.  Theol.  Sem., 
i825-*37.  Author  of "  Sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost;"  "Lectures  on  Scriptural  Sub- 
jects ;"  "  History  of  German  Ref.  Church,"  vol.  i.  See  page  281. 

PHILIP  MAYER,  b.  Tulpehocken,  Pa.,  May  12,  1783;  d.  Orwigsburg,  Pa.,  July 
10,  1870.  Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1809.  Past,  of 
churches  in  Berks  and  Schuylkilll  cos..  Pa.,  i8o9-*57.  W.  c.,  1857-' 76. 

VINCENT  P.  MAYERHOFFER,  studied  in  Germany  for  R.  C.  priesthood. 
Ord..  Syn.  U.  S.,  1826.  Past.  Meadville,  Pa.,  i826-'28.  Entered  P.  E.  ch.  and  d.  in 
Canada. 

GREGORY  H.  MEIBOOM,  b.  Emden,  East  Friesland,  Oct.  i,  1841;  d.  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  July  18,  1876.  Stud.  Mission  House,  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  1869-' 70.  Lie. 
and  ord.,  1870.  Asst.  Past.,  Galion,  O.,  1870.  Past.  Ironton,  O.,  1870-' 74;  Jefferson, 
ville,  Ind.,  1874-' 76. 

PHILIP  JACOB  MICHAEL,  b.  Ger.  — ;  d.  Lynn  twp.,  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  ab. 
1770.  Independent.  Founder  of  "  Ziegel "  ch.  Pastor  at  Maxatawny,  etc. 

JOHN  JACOB  MEYER.    Rec'd,  Synod  U.  S.  1848,  from  Switz. 

ISAAC  MIESE,  b.  Centre  township,  Berks  CO.,  Pa.,  Mar.  31,  1812;  d.  Bernville, 
Feb.  i,  1864.  Past.  BCCKS  Co.,  Pa.  Declared  himself  independent,  1863. 

SOLOMON  S.  MIDDLEKAUFF,  b.  Hagerstown,  Md.,  1818 ;  d.  Mineral 
Springs,  N.  C.,  May  21,  1845.  Grad.  Marshall  Col.,  1839;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg, 
1842.  Lie.,  Mercersburg  Cl.,  1842  ;  ord.,  North  Carolina  Cl.,  1842.  Past.  Lincolnton 
ch.,  N.  C..  i842-*45. 

PHILIP  M1LLEDOLER,  D.  D.,  b.  Rinebeck,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  22,  1775  ;  d.  S:aten 
Island,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  23,  1852.  Grad.  Columbia  Col.,  N.  Y.,  1793.  Preceptor,  D£.  J. 
D.  Gros.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1794.  Past.  Ger.  Ref.  ch.,  Nassau  St.,  N.  Y., 


NECROLOGY.  405 

1794-1800;  Finest.  (Presb.)  ch.,  Phila.,  i8oo-'os;  Rutgers  st.  (Presb.)  ch..  N.  Y., 

iSos-'is;  Collegiate  (Ref.  D.)  ch.,  N.  Y.,  i8i3-'2S.     Elected  Prof,  of  Theol.,  Ger. 

Ref.  ch.,  1820,  but  declined.     Prof,  of  Theol.  and  Pres.  of  Rutgers  Col.,  N.  Y.,  1825- 

'4°- 
HENRY  MILDER,  b.  near  Phcenixville,  Pa.,  May  26,  1807;  d.  Waynesboro,  Pa., 

May  29,  1883.     Preceptor,   Rev.  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.     Lie.,   "Free  Synod,"  1831; 

ord.,  1835.     Past.  London  and  St.  Thomas,  Pa.,  iSss-'sS  ;  Tarlton,  O.,  i838-'42.  Sub- 
sequently without  charge.     Agent  S.  S.  Union,  etc. 
JOHN  C.  MILLER,  b.  —  Aug.  1826;  d.  Dayton,  O.,  Oct.  5,  1851.     Lie.  and  ord., 

Lancaster  Cl.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1850.     Miss.,  Findlay  and  Bethlehem,  O.,  iSso-'si. 
JOHN  PETER  MILLER,  b.  Lautern,  Palatinate,  1710;  d.  Ephrata,  Pa.,  Sept. 

25,  1796.     Prior  at  Ephrata.     See  page  175. 
SAMUEL  MILLER,  b.  New  Berlin,  Pa.,  Mar.  23,   1815;  d.   Philada.,  Oct.   n, 

1873.     Lie.,  Lebanon  Cl.,  1842;  ord.,  Susquehanna  CL,  1843.  Past.     Dauphin  chg., 

Pa.,   i843-'45;    Harmony,    i845-'52;    Grindstone   Hill   chg.;  Pottsville,    Pa.,   1860. 

Supply,  Meyerstown,  Pa.,  1858-' 59  .  Wyoming,  Del.  Associate  editor,  "  Messenger" 

and  "  Kirchenzeitung,"  1852  ;  sole  editor  of  the  latter,  i854-'58.     Author  of  "  Mer- 

cersburg  and  Modern  Theology  Compared,"  Phila.,  1866. 
GEORGE  MILLS,  b.  Montgomery  Co.,   Pa., — ;  d.  New  York  City.     Preceptor, 

Dr.   S.    Helffenstein.     Lie.,   Syn.   U.   S.,   1822;  ord.,  "Free   Synod,"    1829.     Past. 

Forsyth  st.  ch.,  New  York,  i829-*33.     Dismissed  to  Presb.  ch.,  1834. 
FREDERICK  G.  MOSCHOP.      Lie.,  Syn.   of  O.,   1835;    ord.,   1836.      Past. 

Galiun,  etc.,  1839.     Name  erased,  1842. 
FREDERICK  MOYER,  b.   Fairneld  co.,  O.,  Mar.  22,   1844;  d-   Bremen,  O., 

Jan.  24,  1869.     Grad.  Held.  Col.     Lie.,  Tiffin  Cl.,  1868.     Miss.,  Akron,  O.,  1868. 

Tutor  in  Heid.  Col. 
EMANXJEL  CHRISTOPHER  MUELLER,  b.  Tubingen,  Wurtemberg,  Aug. 

14,  1845;  d.  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  Oct.  22,  1875.     Came  to  America,  1866.     Stud.  Miss. 

House,  Sheboygan.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Ind.  Cl.,  1868.     Past.  Crothersville,  Ind.,  1868- 

'69  ;  Rising  Sun,  1869-' 72  ;  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  1872-' 73;  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  i873-*75. 
JOHN  J.  MUELLER   (Miller].     Past.   Dagersheim,    St.  Gall,  Switz.     Came  to 

America  ab.,  1835.     Past.  New  Orleans,  La.,  1835-' 39.     Rec'd.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1839. 
THEODORE  MUELLER,  b.  Stargard,  Ger.,  Jan.  17,  1834;  d.  Canton,  O.,  Dec. 

29,  1870.     Lie.,  St.  John's  Cl.,  Syn.  of  O..  1869. 
P.  A.  B.  ME1STER.    Rec'd,  Maryland  Cl.,  1852.     Past.,  Frederick  City,   Md., 

(German)  1853.     Name  erased,  1854. 

DAVID  MUCK,  lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1831.    Past.  Crawford,  Venango,  and  Erie 

cos.,  Pa. 
CHRISTOPHER  MUNZ  (Manczus?)    In  1757  Coetus  made  a  gift  to  his  widow. 

Otherwise  unknown. 
BENJAMIN  T.  NEAL.    Lie.  and  ord.,  "  Free  Synod,"  1834.  Miss.  Troy,  N.  Y., 

1836.     Past.  Clearspring,  Md.,  i84i-'45.     Dis.  to  Presb.  ch.,  1847. 
FRANCIS  NETSCHER,  b.  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Ger.,  April  15,  1826;  d.  Millville, 

Clarion  Co.,  Pa.,  April  16,  1859.     Came  to  America,  1838.     Grad.  F   &  M.  Col.,  1854. 

Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1856.     Past.,  Benders  chg.,  Adams  CO., 

Pa.,  i856-'s8;  Redbank  chg.,  Clarion  co.,  1858-' 59. 

JOHN  W.  G.  NEVELLING,  b.  Westphalia,  Ger.,   1750;  d.  Philada.,  Jan.  18. 
1844.     Preceptors,  Drs.  Weyberg  &  Gros.     Lie.,  Coetus,  Pa.,  1771 ;  ord.  1772.     Past. 


406 


NECROLOGY. 


Amwell,   N.  J.,  I77i-'8a;    Reading,   Pa.,  1883.     Chaplain  in  the  Revolution.     An 
invalid  for  sixty  years. 

J.  A.  NICOLAI,  b.  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Ger.,  Aug.  7,  1821 ;  d.  Dickinson  co.,  Kans., 
Nov.  20,  1882.  Came  to  America,  1831. 

JOHN  JACOB  OEHL  (EMe—Eal.)  Past.  West  Camp,  N.  Y.,  i7io-'2o  (?); 
Schoharie  and  Valley  of  the  Mohawk,  I72o-'so(?).  Miss,  to  Mohawk  Indians, 
1720-7.  Supplied  Kinderhook,  J72o-'27.  Preached  German  and  Dutch. 

TRUMAN  OSBORN.  Received,  1838,  from  Presb.  of  Baltimore.  Past.,  German- 
town,  Pa.,  1838-' 42.  Dis.  to  Presb.  ch.,  1843. 

WILLIAM  OTTERBEIN,  b.  Dillenburg,  Nassau,  Ger.,  June  3,  1726;  d.  Balti- 
more, Md.,  Oct.  17,  1813.  Stud,  at  Herborn,  1742.  Lie.,  1748;  ord.,  1749.  Vicar 
at  Ockersdorf,  1749.  Came  to  America  with  Schlatter,  1752.  Past.,  Lancaster,  Pa., 
i752-'58 ;  Tulpehocken,  i758-'6o;  Frederick,  Md.,  ij6o-'6s;  York,  Pa.,  1765-' 74; 
Second  ch.,  Baltimore  (Conway  St.),  1774-1813.  See  page  214. 

JACOB  ORTH,  b.  Colony  of  Worms,  Southern  Russia,  1837;  d.  Yankton,  Da., 
Nov.  3,  1883.  Came  to  America  ab.,  1873.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Sheboygan  Cl.,  1877. 
Missionary  among  his  countrymen  in  Southern  Dakota. 

PHILIP  KKIMIOL.D  PAULI,  b.  Magdeburg,  Ger.,  June  22,  1742;  d.  Reading, 
Pa.,  Jan.  27,  1815.  Stud.  Univ.  of  Halle  and  Leipzig.  Came  to  America,  1783. 
Teacher  in  Phila.,  i783-'8o,.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1789.  Past.  Worcester  and 
Whitpain,  i789-*93;  Reading,  Pa.,  1793-1815. 

WILLIAM  PAULI,  son  of  Philip  R.,  b.  Skippack  twp.,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa., 
March  9,  1792;  d.  Reading,  Pa.,  May  20,  1855.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1812;  ord.,  1816. 
Past.  Reading,  Pa.,  i8i6-'44.  Subsequently  independent. 

CHARLES  AUGUSTUS  PAULI,  son  of  Philip  R.,  b.  Reading,  Pa.,  April  12, 
1804;  d.  Reading,  Pa.,  Oct.  5,  1871.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1825.  Past.  St. 
John's,  Berks  co  ,  i825~'26  ;  Dauphin  Co.,  1826-' 33 ;  Hain's  etc.,  Berks  CO.,  1834-' 71. 
Independent  after  1845. 

CASPAR  PLUESS,  b.  Aargau,  Switzerland,  Apr.  28,  1825;  d.  Crothersville,  Lad., 
Feb.  2-8,  1878  Miss.  Inst.,  Basel,  Switz.  Came  to  America,  1849.  First  missionary 
of  the  Synod  of  the  Northwest.  Past.  Emmanuel's  ch.,  Wis.,  1849;  Lawrence,  Ind., 
Arnheim,  O.,  1859-' 64;  subsequently  disabled  and  without  charge. 

FREDERICK  W.  PLASSMAN,  b.  1816;  d.  Floral  College,  N.  C.,  Sept.  30, 
1848.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1844.  Miss.,  China  Grove,  N  .C.,  1844.  Past.  Davidson  co., 
N.  C.,  1846-' 47. 

PETER  PAUL  PERNISIUS,  b.  Graubiinden,  Switz.  Came  to  America,  1784. 
Past.  Allen,  Lehigh  and  Moor  township,  Northampton  co.,  Pa.,  1784-91.  Suspended. 

NICHOLAS  POMP,  b.  Manbiichel,  near  Zweibriicken,  Ger.,  Jan.  ao,  1734;  d. 
Easton,  Pa.,  Sept.  i,  1819.  Stud.  Marburg.  Ord.  at  Cassel,  Hesse.  Sent  to  America 
by  the  Synods  of  Holland,  1765.  Past.,  Falkener  Swamp,  i765-'83  ;  Baltimore,  Md., 
i783-'8g  ;  Goshenhoppen  (supply)  i789~'9i  ;  Indianfield,  etc.,  1791- ab.  1800.  Subse- 
quently disabled  and  zesided  in  Easton,  Pa.  Author  of  "  Kurze  Priifungen  etc.," 
Phila.,  1774.  See  page  213. 

THOMAS  POMP,  only  son  of  the  preceding,  b.  Skippack  twp.,  Montgomery  co., 
Pa.,  Feb.  4,  1773 ;  d.  Easton,  Pa.,  Apr.  22,  1852.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1793 ;  ord.,  1795 
Past.  Montgomery  co.,  i793-*96;  Easton,  Pa.,  1796-1852.  Also  pastor,  at  various 
times,  of  the  Plainfield,  Dryland,  Lower  Saucon,  Upper  Mt.  Bethel,  and  other 
churches. 

LOUIS  R.  PORTER,  d.  1834.  Lie.  "Free  Synod,"  1831.  Received  by  Syn.  of 
O.,  1834.  Past.  Mt.  Vernon  ch.,  Knox  co.,  O.,  1834-' 35. 


NECROLOGY.  4O/ 

JOTIX  G,  PFRIMMER  (Phriemer),  b.  Alsace,  1762;  d.  near  Corydon,  Ind., 
1025.  Came  to  America,  1788.  Irregularly  ord.  by  a  member  of  Coetus,  probably  by 
Gueting.  Prominent  among  the  founders  of  the  "United  Brethren  in  Christ." 

JOSIAH  J.  PENNYP  ACKER,  b.  Philada.,  Pa.,  Dec.  13,  1835;  d.  London, 
Mercer  co.,  Pa.,  Apr.  23,  1884.  Grad.  F.  and  M.  Col.,  1864;  Theol.  Sem.,  Lancas- 
ter, 1867.  Past.  Armstrong  Co.,  Pa.,  i867~'72.  Principal  Reimersburg  Collegiate 
Institute,  i872-'82  ;  Mercer  co.  (mission),  i883-'84. 

PITHAN  (or  Bitthahn).  Past.  Easton,  Plainfield,  Greenwich,  and  Dryland,  1769. 
Deposed  1771.  Became  an  ecclesiastical  vagabond,  and  preached  a  short  time  in 
many  churches,  from  Pennsylvania  to  South  Carolina. 

JOHN  PENCE,  b.  Rockingham  co.,  Va.,  Dec.  13,  1799  ;  d.  Tremont  city,  O.,  Apr. 
18,  1883.  Preceptor,  Dr.  Trios.  Winters.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Ohio  Cl.,  1824.  Past,  of 
several  charges  in  Ohio. 

DANIEL  RAHAUSER,  d.  Mifflin,  O.,  Jan.  3,  1848.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1821.  Past. 
Harmony,  Pa.,  1821 ;  Columbiana  co.,  O.,  etc.,  1824;  Ashland,  O.,  ab.  1831. 

JONATHAN  RAHAUSER,  b.  York  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  14,  1764;  d.  Hagerstown, 
Md.,  Sept.  25,  1817.  Preceptor,  Dr.  W.  Hendel,  Sr.  Lie.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1789;  ord., 
1791.  Past.  Shamokin  chg.,  i789-'92;  Hagerstown,  Md.,  1792-1817. 

FREDERICK  A.  RAHAUSER,  brother  of  Jonathan;  b.  York  co.,  Pa.  Mar., 
1782;  d.  East  Liberty,  Pa.,  July  15,  1865.  Preceptors,  Rev.  J.  Rahauser  and  Daniel 
Wagner.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1808.  Past.  Emmittsburg,  Md.,  i8o8-'i6;  Har- 
risburg,  Pa.,  1819;  Chambersburg,  i8i9-'36;  Tiffin,  O.,  1836-' 40;  Sandusky  and 
Seneca  cos.,  i84o-*55. 

WILLIAM  C.  RANKIN,  b.  North  Carolina,  — ;  d.  Jasper,  Ind.,  ab.  1839.  Re- 
ceived from  Presb.  Ch.,  1835.  Miss.  Mountain  Creek,  N.  C.,  1836  ;  Jasper,  Ind.,  1838. 

FRANCIS  M.  RASCHIG,  b.  Ger.,  Jan.  n,  1804;  d.  Cincinnati,  O.,  Aug.  16, 
1873.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1833.  Dauphin  co.,  1833- 
'35;  Cincinnati,  O.,  i835-'73.  Independent  after  1837. 

HENRY  RASSMAN,  b.  Ger.,  Apr.  20,  1753;  d.  Centre  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  23,  1832. 
Taught  school  in  Lancaster  and  Centre  cos.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1812;  ord.,  1818. 
Past.  Boalsburg,  Penns  Creek,  etc.,  1812;  Rebersburg,  Aaronsburg,  etc.,  i8i3-*28. 

CHRISTIAN  HENRY  RAUCH,  b.  Bernburg,  Anhalt,  Ger.,  July  5,  1718;  d. 
Jamaica,  West  Indies,  Nov.  n,  1763.  Came  to  America,  1740.  First  Moravian  mis- 
sionary to  the  Indians.  Ord.  a  minister  of  the  Reformed  branch  of  the  "Congrega- 
tion of  God,"  ab.  1742.  Preached  at  Heidelberg,  Tulpehocken,  and  many  other  places 
in  Lancaster,  Berks,  Lebanon,  and  York  counties.  Miss,  among  the  negroes  in  the 
West  Indies. 

FREDERICK  AUGUSTUS  RAUCH,  Ph.  D.,  b.  Kirchbracht,  Hesse- Darm- 
stadt, July  27,  1806  :  d.  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  March  2,  1841.  Stud.  Marburg,  Giessen, 
and  Heidelberg.  Prof,  extraordinary  at  Giessen.  Came  to  America,  1831.  Prof,  of 
German,  Lafayette  Col.,  1831-' 32.  Principal  of  High  School  at  York,  i832-'35.  Prof, 
in  Theol.  Sem.,  i832-'4i.  President  of  Marshall  Col.,  i835-'4i.  See  page  286. 

JOHN  REBAUGH,  b.  Abbottstown,  Pa.,  Sept.,  1802  ;  d.  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Feb.  I, 
1871.  Preceptor,  Dr.  Dashields.  Served  several  years  in  the  U.  B.  Church.  Lie. 
and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1830.  Past.  Shippensburg.  Pa.,  i83o-'3i ;  Boonsboro,  Md., 
i83i-'37;  Greencastle,  Pa.,  i837-'si,  and  Clearspring,  Md.,  etc.,  till  1863.  Subse- 
quently disabled. 

JOEL.  L.  REBER,  b.  Heidelberg  twp.,  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  8,  1816;  d.  York  cc., 
Pa.,  Aujr.  15,  1856.  Stud.  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  i838-'42.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Susquehajina 


408  NECROLOGY. 

Cl.,  1843.  Past.  Rebersburg,  etc.,  1843-' 44;  Jonestown,  i845-'si ;  Millersville,  Lan- 
caster co.,  i852-'55;  Codorus  chg.,  1855-56.  Author  of  "  Secten-Geist  und  Secten- 
Wesen,"  Chambersburg,  1850. 

J.  8.  REGNIER,  b.  Switz.,  — ;  d.  Bethlehem,  O.  Past.  Berlin  chg.,  Somerset  Co., 
Pa.,  i834-'3s;  Bethlehem,  O.,  1835. 

JOHN  BARTHOLOMAUS  RIEGER,  c.  Oberengelheim,  Palatinate,  Jan.  10, 
1707;  d.  Lancaster,  Pa.,  Mar.  u,  1769.  Stud.  Univ.  of  Heidelberg.  Came  to  Amer- 
ica, 1731.  Preached  in  Lancaster,  Pa.,  and  vicinity.  Also  practiced  medicine.  One 
of  the  founders  of  the  Coetus.  See  page  172. 

CHARLES  REIGHLEY,  past.  Frederick  city,  Md.,  i833-*35.     Deposed  1835. 

JAMES  ROSS  REILY,  b.  Meyerstown,  Pa.,  Oct.,  31,  1788;  d.  York,  Pa.,  Mar. 
18,1844.  Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1812  ;  ord.,  1817.  Past. 
Lykens  Valley,  i8i2-'i8;  Hagerstown,  Md. ;  York,  Pa.,  i827-'3i.  Miss,  to  N.  C., 
1813.  Agent  in  Europe  for  the  Theol,  Sem.,  i825~'26.  Withdrew  from  the  active 
ministry,  1831,  on  account  of  ill  health. 

JOHN  REINECK.E,  b.  Helmarshausen,  Hesse-Cassel ,  Aug.  u,  1789:  d.  Shrews- 
bury, Pa.,  Apr.  15,  1859.  A  soldier  under  Napoleon,  and  in  the  Prussian  "army  of 
liberation."  Came  to  America,  1834.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Cl.  of  Zion,  1837.  Past.  Shrews- 
bury chg.,  York  co.,  Pa.,  1837-' 57. 

JAMES  REINHART,  b.  near  Waynesburg,  O.,  Apr.  16,  1839;  d-  Columbiana, 
O.,  Aug.  29,  1870.  Stud.  Heid.  Col.  Lie.  St.  John's  Cl.,  1860.  Past.  Springfield 
chg.,  i86o-'7o. 

WILLIAM  REITER,  b.  Lancaster  co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  30,1799:  d.  Shanes ville,  O., 
May  16,  1826.  Preceptor,  Rev.  H.  Sonnedecker.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1823. 
Past.  Shanesville,  New  Philadelphia,  etc.,  O.,  i823-F26. 

SOLOMON  REUTLINGER,  d.  Benita,  West  Africa,  July  17,  1869. 

HKXRY  L.  RICE,  b.  1795  ;  d.  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  May  3,  1837.  Lie.  and  ord., 
Ref.  D.  Ch.,  1824.  Miss.,  i824-'26.  Past.  Spottswood,  N.  J.,  i826-'34-  Entered 
Ger.  Ref.  Ch.,  1834.  Past.  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  i834~'37.  Agent  for  institutions  at 
Mercersburg,  i836-'37. 

SIMON  RIEGEL.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1821. 

G.  H.  RIEMENSCHNEIDER.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Free  Syn.,  1832.     Dis.,  1836. 

J.  J.  RIEMENSCHNEIDER,  brother  of  the  preceding.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Free 
Syn.,  1832.  Dis.  1836. 

JACOB  RIESS  (Reisz),  b.  Ger.,  Apr.  10,  1706;  d.  Tohickon,  Pa.,  Dec.  13,  1774. 
Past,  Indianfield,  J749~'S3;  New  Goshenhoppen,  i763-'66;  Lower  Saucon  ; 
Tohickon,  1774. 

JOHN  RIK.E,  b.  Montgomery  co.,  O.,  Feb.  n,  1826;  d.  Lancaster,  O.,  Sept.  7, 
1854.  Theol.  Sem.,  Columbus,  O.,  1848-49.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Lancaster,  O.,  1849. 
West  Alexandria,  O.,  i849-'54;  Lancaster,  O.,  1854. 

ABRAHAM  ROSEXKRANTZ,  b.  —  d.  ab.,  1794.  Past.,  Canajoharie,  N.  Y., 
1758;  Nassau  St.,  ch.,  New  York,  1758-' 59;  Schoharie,  I76o-'6s;  Canajoharie  and 
German  Flats,  i76s-'94. 

FREDERICK.  ROTHENBUEHLER,  b.  Bern,  Switzerland,  July  29,  1726  ;d. 
Philadelphia,  Aug.  7,  1766.  Ord.  in  Europe,  1752.  Past.  Ger.  Ref.  Ch.,  London, 
Eng.,  1759— '60.  Came  to  America,  1760.  Past.  New  York,  i76i-'62  ;  Race  st.  ch., 
I'hila.,  1762.  Not  received  by  Coetus  on  account  of  improper  conduct.  Organized 
an  independent  congregation,  and  built  a  church,  which  after  his  death  was  sold  to 


NECROLOGY.  4OQ 

the  Methodists  and  is  now  known  as  "  St.  George's,"  the  oldest  Methodist  church  in 

Philadelphia. 
JOHN  CASPER  RUBEL,  b.  Ger.,  — ;  1797.     Came  to  America,  with  Schlatter, 

1752.     Pastor  of  zd.  congregation  of  Phila.,  ab.,   i7S3-'ss  ;  Camp,  Red  Hook,  and 

Rhinebeck,  N.  J.,  i755-'59.     Brooklyn,  Flatlands,  etc.,  i759-'83.     Deposed,  1784 — . 
JOHN  RUDY,  b.  Switzerland,  1791  ;  d.   New  York  City,  Feb.  8,  1842.     Lie.  and 

ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1821.     Past.,  Guilford,  N.  C.,  i82i-F24 ;  Germantown,  N.  Y.,  1825- 

'35 ;  Miss,  to  Germans,  N.  Y.  City,  i835-'38.     Ger.  Ev.  Mission,  N.  Y.,  1838-' 42. 

Entered  Ref.  D.  church,  1840. 
JOHN  WILLIAM  RUNKEL,  b.  Oberengelheim,  Palatinate,  Apr.  28,  1749  ;  d. 

Gettysburg,  Pa.,  Nov.   5,   1832.     Came  to  America,  1764.     Lie.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1777; 

ord.,   1778.     Past.,   Cumberland   and   adjoining   counties,   i777-'8i  ;  Lebanon,   etc., 

i78i-'84;  Frederick,  Md.,  etc.,  1784-1802;  Germantown,  Pa.,  i8o2-'o5 ;  Forsyth  st. 

ch.,   N.   Y.,   i8o5-'i2 ;     Gettysburg,    Pa.,    i8is-'22.     W.    c.,   1822-'^.     Performed 

much  missionary  labor,  and  preached  for  many  churches  in  Pa.,  Md.,  and  Va. 
JOHN  RUNKEL.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1808.     Served  in  the  ministry,  1808- 

'12,  and  then  entered  the  medical  profession. 
CHRISTIAN  C.  RUSSELL,  b.  near  Leitersburg,  Md.,  Oct.  7,  1827;  d.  Camdeh, 

N.  J.,  Nov.  17,  1871.     Grad.  F.  &  M.  Col.,  1853.     Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1856. 

Lie.  and  ord..  Mercersburg  Cl.,  1856.     Past.,  Columbia,   Pa.,  1857;  Latrobe,  Pa., 

1857-' 71  ;  Wyoming,  Del.,  1871. 
WATSON  RUSSELL.      Lie.,  Lebanon  CL,  1853.     Dis.  to  Presb.  of  Donegal, 

1854- 
J.  B.  RUHL,  b.  Ger.,  Dec.  14.   1821;  d.  Nappanee,  O.,  Dec.   14,    1883.     Came  to 

America,  1836.     Preceptor,  Dr.  P.  Herbruck.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Columbiana  Cl.,  1845. 

Past.  Trumbull  and  Mahony  cos.,  O.,  i84(5-'63  ;  Huntington,  Ind.;  St.  John's  cong., 

Elkhart  co.,  Ind.,  1865-' 74;  Spencerville,  O.,  1874-' 76  ;  Edgerton  miss.,  1876. 
PAUL  J.  RUETENIK,  b.  New  Lewin,  Prussia,  1846;  d.  Clay  City,  Neb.,  Nov. 

23,  1882.     Mission    House,  Sheboygan,   Wis.,  1871.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Sheboygan,  Cl. 

Past.,  Washington  Co.,  Wis.:  Gasconade  Co.,  Missouri. 

ROBERT  R.  SALTERS,  b.  England,  1808;  d.  Joliet,  111.,  Aug.  14,  1872.     Pre- 
ceptor, Rev.  D.  Winters.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Cl.  of  Sandusky,  1843.     Past.  Evansport, 

etc.,  O. ;  Concord,  Ind. ;  La  Salle,  Mich.     Dism.  to  Presb.  Ch.,  1853. 
JOHN  L.  SANDERS,  b.  1809  ;  d,  Attica,  Ind.,  Jan.  27,  1840.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Cl. 

of  Md.,  1833.     Past.  Tiffin,  O.,  i834-'37;  Attica,  Ind.,  1837-' 40. 
DANIEL  B.  SAUERS,  stud.  Mercersburg,  Pa.     Lie!  and  ord.,  Susq.  CL,  1845. 

Past.  Blockhouse  Settlement,  Tioga  co.,  Pa.,  i845-*47.     Name  erased,  1847. 
CONRAD  SAURE,  b.  Darmstadt,  Ger.,  Aug.  21,  1820;  d.  Cincinnati,  O.,  May  21, 

1873,     Came  to  America,  1845.     Preceptors,  Drs.  E.  V.  Gerhart  and  H.  Rust.     Lie., 

1856;  ord.,  1858.     Past.  Salem's  ch.,  Cincinnati,  1856-' 73. 
EUGENE  SAUVAIN,  b.  1831  ;  d.  Mt.  Eaton,  O.,  Feb.  n,  1872.     Lie.  and  ord., 

1836.     Miss,  in  Brazil.     Past.  French  ch.,  Mt.  Eaton,  :86S-'72. 

ADAM  SCHAEPER,  d.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  1834.     Lie  ,  Free  Syn.  of  Pa.,  1828;  ord., 

1831.     Past.  Lebanon  co.,  1829;  Weiss  ch.,  Berks  co.,  1831. 
HENRY    B.  SCHAFPNER,  b.  Apr.  5,  1784;  d.  Marietta,  Pa.,  Apr.  9,  1853. 

Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn'  U.  S.,  1808.     Past.  Marietta,  Maytown,  etc.,  Lancaster  co.,  Pa. 

Susp.,  1840. 

MICHAEL  SCHLATTER,  b.  St.  Gall,  Switz.,  July  14,1716;  d.  near  PhiladeU 


4  TO  NECROLOGY. 

phia,  Oct.,  1790,  and  buried  in  the  Retormed  churchyard,  now  Franklin  Square,  Phil- 
adelphia. Founder  of  the  Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  U.  S.  See  page  196. 

JESSE  SCHL.OSSER,  b.  Adams  co.,  Pa.,  Mar.  18,  1812  ;  d.  Three  Rivers,- Mich., 
Jan.  13,  1875.  Preceptors,  Rev.  A.  Keller  and  Geo.  Schlosser.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1844. 
Past.  Jeromeville,  O.  :  Reedsburg,  Basil,  Akron,  and  Fairfield.  Entered  Presb.  Ch., 
but  soon  returned  to  Ref.  Ch.  Past.  Three  Rivers,  Mich.,  1873-' 75. 

F.  SCHMECKENBECHER,  preceptors,  Rev.  T.  H.  Leinbach  and  A.  L.  Her- 
man.  Lac.  and  ord..  Free  Synod  of  Pa.,  1835.  Past.  Peace  ch.,  etc.,  Lycoming  CO., 
1835-' 39.  Accidentally  drowned. 

BENJAMIN  S.  SCHNECK,  D.  D.,  b.  near  Reading,  Pa.,  Mar.  14,  1806;  d. 
Chambersburg,  Pa,,  Apr.  14,  1874.  Preceptor,  Dr.  F.  L.  Herman.  Lie.  Free  Synod, 
1825;  ord.  1826.  Past.  Centre  CO.,  Pa.,  i825-'33;  Gettysburg,  i834-'35  ;  St.  John's 
(Ger.)  ch.,  Chambersburg,  1855-' 74.  First  editor  of  the  "  Messenger,"  and  "  Kirchen- 
zi-.iiung."  Commissioner  to  Germany,  1843.  Prof,  in  Wilson  Female  Col.,  1874. 
Author  of  "The  Burning  of  Chambersburg,"  "  Mercersburg  Theology,"  etc. 

BENJAMIN  SCHNEIDER,  D.  D.,  b.  New  Hanover,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa., 
Jan.  18,  1807;  d.  Boston,  Mass.,  Sept.  14,  1877.  Grad.  Amherst  Col.,  i83o;Andover 
Theol.  Sem.,  1833.  Entered  Presb.  Ch.  Lie.  and  ord.,  New  Castle  Presbytery, 
1833.  Missionary  of  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  Broosa,  Asia  Minor, 

i834-'49;  Aintab,  Syria,  1849 .  Returned  to  Broosa  and  labored  thereuntil  1875. 

Became  connected  with  the  Reformed  Ch.  In  1842,  and  was  subsequently  recognized  as 
its  foreign  missionary.  His  wife  wrote  "  Letters  from  Broosa,"  Chambersburg,  1846. 
See  page  328. 

JACOB  SCHNEIDER  (Schneyiier),  b.  — ;  d.  Leesport,  Va.,  1826,  Lie.  and  ord., 
Coetus,  Pa.,  i785-'87.  Came  to  Frederick,  Md.,  1787.  Led  the  opposition  to  Rev. 
J.  W.  Runkel,  and  for  some  time  held  the  church.  Preached  at  Harpers  Ferry, 
Lovettsville,  and  Woodstock,  Va.  Principal  of  an  Academy  at  Leesburg,  Va. 
Corwin  ("  Manual  ")  calls  him  "  George  W.  Schneyder." 

CASPER  LUDWIG  SCHNORR.  Independent.  Past.,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  1744- 
'46;  Germantown,  N.  Y.,  1746-' 49. 

FREDERICK.  A.  SCHOLL,  b.  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  3,  1787;  d.  Green- 
castle,  Pa.,  May  13,  1865.  Preceptors,  Rev.  A.  Helffenstein  and  Dr.  S.  Helflfenstein, 
Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1814;  ord.,  1817.  Past.,  York  co.,  Pa.,  i8i4-'i8;  Greencastle. 
Waynesboro,  Mercersburg.  etc.,  1818 —  ab.,  1852. 

JACOB  SCHOLL,  b.  Bucks  co.,  Pa.,  Nov.  16,  1797;  d.  Perry  co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  4, 
1847.  Preceptor,  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1818;  ord.  1819.  Miss,  to 
Va.  and  N.  C.,  1819.  Past.  Sherman's  Valley  chg.,  iSig-'sS;  Landisburg,  i838-'4o ; 
New  BloomfielJ,  i84o-'47. 

GUSTAVUS  W.  M.  SCHUI/ZE,  b.  Breslau,  Ger  ,  Sept.  31,  1824  ;  d.  Newville, 
Ind..  July  31,  1863.  Came  to  America  ab.,  1848.  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1857. 
Lie.,  Cl.  of  Md.,  1858  ;  ord.,  West  Sus.,  Cl.,  1858.  Past.  Adamsburg  chg.,  Pa., 
i858-'6a;  Newvilie,  Ind.,  i862-'63- 

BENEDICT  SCHWOB  (Sclvwofie,  S-wope,  etc.  Probably  originally  Schwab),  b. 
Ger.  ab.,  1730;  d.  in  Kentucky  during  the  winter  of  iSog-'io.  Ruling  elder,  St. 
Benjamin's  ch.,  Md.,  1763.  Ord.,  Coetus,  Pa.,  ab.,  1771.  Past.,  Second  ch.,  Balti- 
more, Md.,  J77o-'73  ;  Pipe  Creek  chg.,  Md.,  1774-' 76.  Assisted  Ottcrbein  in  organ- 
izing the  conferences  of"  United  Ministers,"  I774~'i776.  See  page  216. 

JACOB  SECHLER,  b.  Turbut  twp.,  Northumberland  co.,  Pa.,  Mar.  18,  1806;  d. 
Hanover,  Pa.,  May  10,  1880.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.,  1834;  Gettysburg,  1835-' 36. 


NECROLOGY.  411 

L;c.  and  ord.,  Zion's  Cl.,  1837.  .Past.,  Hanover  chg.,  Pa.,  1837-' 59  ;  Littlestown, 

i859-'66;  Manheim  chg.,  York  Co.,  i866-'8o. 
SAMUEL.  SEIBERT,  b.  Dauphin  Co.,  Pa.,  Sept.  8,  1800;  d.  Greentown,  O.,  July 

8,1863.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1824;  ord.,  Free  Synod,  1826.     Past.   Middletown,  Pa., 

1826;  Selinsgrove,  1837;  Boyertown  chg. ,  i843-'5o  ;  Limerick  and  Keelers,  i85o-'52  ; 

deposed,  1852;  restored,  1858;  Stark  co.,  O.,  1861. 
JONAS  SELLERS.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1831 ;  ord.,  Free  Synod  ab.,  1834.  Miss,  in 

Va.,  1836. 
.TACOB  SENN,  b.  Mar.  1775;  d.  Indianfield,  Pa.,  Jan.  28,  1818.     Stud.  Univ.  of 

Pa.,  Ord.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1795.     Past.,  Newtown,  etc.,  N.  J.,  i795-'i8oo;  Tohickon, 

chg.,  Pa.,  i8oo-'i8. 
.'ACOB  B.  SHADE,  b.  Upper  Providence,  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  Apr.  25,  1817; 

J.  Trappe,  Pa.,  April  25,  1846.     M.   Col.,  1841;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1843. 

Lie.  and  ord.,  Mercersburg  Cl.,  1843.     Past.  McConnelsburg,  Pa.,  1843.     Colporteur, 

Am.  Tract.  Soc.,  1844. 

GEORGE  SIIAFER.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1861.     Resided  at  Nevins,  O. 
J.  W.  A.  SHAEFFER.     Licentiate    of   Sandusky    Cl.,    Syn    of   O.,    1852-56. 

Resided  at  Burkittsville,  Md.,  1855. 
HIRAM  SHAULL,  b.  Jefferson  co.,  Va.,  Mar.  14,  1819;  d.  Sidney,  O.,  Apr.  23, 

1883.     Stud.  M.  Col.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Va.  Cl.,  1844.     Past.,  Mill  Creek,  Va.,  1844-' 45. 

Subsequently  past,  of  various  charges  in  Ohio. 
DAVID  SHEARER,  b.  Guilford  co.,  N.  C.,  Oct.,  30,  1782  ;  d.  Huntingdon,  Ind., 

Sept.  io,<i857.     Removed  to  Ohio,  1804.     Theol.  Sem.,  Lancaster,  O.     Lie.  and  ord., 

1822.     Past  ,  Highland  co.,  O.,  i823-*27;  Shanesville,  1827-' 39,  w.  c.,  i839-'57. 
EPHRAIM  S.  SHC.IP,  b.  New  Britain,  Bucks  co.,  Pa.,  May  7,   1836;  d,  Bdle- 

fonte,  Pa.,  July  26,   1866.     Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1863.     Lie.,  Cl.  of  Goshen- 

hoppen,  1864;  ord.,  Cl.  of  West  Susq.,  1864.     Pastor,  Bellefonte,  Pa.,  i864-'66. 
ISAAC  SHELLHAMMER,  b.   Brier  Creek,  Northumberland  co.,  Pa.,  Jan.  i, 

1802;  d.    Conyngham,   Pa.,   Feb.   22,   1873.     Preceptors,   Rev.   John  J.  Benninger, 

Kessler,  and  La  Rose.     Lie.,  1828;  ord.,  1829.     Past.,  Black   Creek,   Conyngham, 

and  other  places  in  Luzerne  and  Columbia  counties. 
GEORGE  A.  SHOOK.  (Sckuck),  b.,  May  3,  1803  ;  d.  Redhook,    N.  Y.,  May  14, 

1837.     Grad.  Union  Col.,  Schenectady,  N.   Y.,    1824.     Theol.  Sem.,   Carlisle,   Pa., 

1827.     Ord.,  1827;  but  in  consequence  of  ill  health  remained  without  charge. 
MORTIMER  L.   SHUFORD,  b.   Rutherford  co.,   N.   C.,  Jan.  24,   1818 ;    d. 

Burkittsville,  Md.,  Nov.  7,  1883.     Grad.  M.Col.,  1843.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Va.  Cl.  1844. 

Past.,  Lovettsville,  Va.,  1845;  Glade  chg.,  Md.,   i849-'57  ;  Mt.  Moriah,  i857~'63; 

Boonsboro',  i863-'67  ;  Winchester,  Va.,  1867-' 73;  Burkitisvilie,  Md.,  i873~'83. 
JOHN  H.  SMALTZ,  b.  Philada.,  Feb.  7,  1793;  d.   Phila.,  July  30,  186!.     Theol. 

Sem.,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.     Lie.  and  ord.,Cl.  of  New  Brunswick,  Ref.  (D.)  Ch., 

1819.     Entered  Ger.  Ref.  Ch.,  1825.     Past.   Germantown,  Pa.,  1825-' 29;  Frederick 

co.,   Md.,   1 829-' 34  ;  Trenton  Mission,  N.  J.,  i834-'3S;   Harrisburg,  Pa.,  1838-' 40; 

Reading,  Pa.,  (Mission,)  1840.     Dis.  to  -Fresh,  ch.,  1844. 

WILLIAII  SMIDMER.     Lie.,  Free  Synod  of  Pa.,  1830.     Preached  in  Hunting- 
don and  Milllin  cos. 
EDWARD  D.  SMITH.     A  noted  impostor.     In  Virginia  he  was  known  as  Dr.  J 

W.  Bond.     His  true  name  is  believed  to  have  been  Elijah  Bowen. 
HENRY  SNYDER.     Preceptor,  Rev.  J.  H.  Fries.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1825.     Ord. 

as  a  missionary  1825.     Preached  at  Shephcrdstown,  Va,,  1835.  • 


41 2  NECROLOGY. 

HKXHV  SONMCDKCIvEK,  b.  Washington  ,po.,  Pa.,  June  n,  1798;  d.  North 
Lima,  O.,  Oct.  16,  1851.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1818 ;  ord.,  1820.  foist.  Washington  co., 
Pa.,  Wayne  and  Stark  cos.,  O.,  i82o-'3i  ;  Columbiana  Co.,  i83i-'5i. 

WILLIAM  SORBER,  b.  Flourtown,  Pa.,  Oct.  4,  1826;  d.  near  Brownback's  ch., 
Chester  CO.,  Pa.,  Dec.  7,  1878.  Preceptor,  Dr.  J.  Helffenstein.  Lie.,  Phila.  Cl., 
1852;  ord.,N.C.  CI.,  1853.  Past.,  Davidson  chg.,  N,  C.,  iSss-'ss;  Brownback's 
chg.,  Pa.,  1855-' 78. 

CYRIACUS  SPAXGENBERG  VON  REIDEME1STER,  b.  Hesse;  d. 
1795.  A  wicked  impostor.  Applied  several  times  for  licensure,  but  was  refused. 
Preached  independently,  Shamokin,  Selinsgrove,  etc.,  i784-'85;  Franklin  Co.,  Pa., 
ifiS-'go.  When  seeking  to  be  settled  in  Berlin,  Elder  Glessner  remonstrated,  and 
Spangenberg  stabbed  him  to  the  heart.  He  was  convicted  and  executed. 

CHARLES  SPARRY.  Received  from  Presbyterian  Ch.,  1840,  but  soon  re- 
turned to  that  body. 

WILLIAM  T.  SPROLE,  D.  D.,  b.  ab.,  1808;  d.  Detroit,  Mich.,  June  9,  1883. 
Received  from  Presb.  Ch.,  1853.  Past.,  Race  St.  Ref.  Ch.,  Phila.,  i832-*37.  Re- 
turned to  Presb.  Ch.  Chaplain  at  West  Point. 

GEORGE  STAEGE.     Lie.  as  a  missionary,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1817. 

SAMUEL  STAEHR,  b.  Bucks  co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  28,  1785;  d.  Springfield,  Pa.,  Sept. 
27,  1843.  Preceptors,  Rev.  J.  Senn,  J.  W.  Dechant,  and  J.  C.  Becker,  D.  D.  Lie., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1813;  ord.,  1816.  Past.,  Springfield,  Durham,  etc.,  Bucks  co.,  Pa., 
i8i3-*43. 

JOHN  CHRISTIAN  STAHLSCHMIDT,  b.  Nassau  Siegen,  Ger.,  Mar.  3, 
1740;  d.  near  Miilheim,  Ger.,  about  1825.  Came  to  America,  1770.  Preceptor,  Dr. 
C.  Weyberg.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1777.  Past.,  York,  Pa.,  1777-' 79.  Returned 
to  Germany.  Author  of  "  Pilger-Reise  zu  Wasser  und  zu  Land,"  Nuremberg, 
1799. 

STEPHEN  STALEY. d.  Shenandoah  co.,  Va.,  1850.  Lie.,  1832  ;  ord.,  1833. 

Past.,  Lovettsville,  Va.,  1833 ;  London,  etc.,  1836 ;  Shenandoah  co.,  Va.,  1850. 

CASPAR  MICHAEL  STAPEL.  Past.  Amwell,  N.  J.,  i762-'63.  Practiced 
medicine.  See  page  210. 

JOHN  CONRAD  STEINER,  b.  Winterthur,  Switz.,  Jan.  i,  1707;  d.  Philadel- 
phia, July  6,  1762.  Ord.  in  Europe.  Past.  Mettmenstetten  ;  St.  Peterzellen ;  St. 
Georgen — all  in  Switzerland.  Came  to  America,  1749.  Philada.,  i-jsi-'s?  ;  German- 
town,  Pa.,  1751-56 ;  Frederick,  Md.,  1756-' 59;  Philada.,  i75O-'62.  See  page  200. 

JOHN  CONRAD  STEINER,  JR.,  — ;  d.  Allen  township,  Northampton  co., 
Pa.,  1782.  Son  of  the  preceding.  Lie.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1771;  ord.,  1772.  Past.  Berks 
CO.  (Allemengel  chg.,)  1771-' 75;  Allen  township,  Lehigh,  etc.,  i775-'82. 

FRANKLIN  D.  STEM,  b.  1829 ;  d.  Easton,  Pa.,  Aug.  18,  1851.  Grad.  Lafayette 
Col. ,1846;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1849.  Lie.,  East  Pa.,  Cl.,  1850;  ord.,  1851. 
Miss.,  Trenton,  N.  J.,  1851. 

MAXIMILIAN  STERN,  D.  D.,  b.  Altenkunstadt,  Bavaria,  Nov.  18,  1815,  of 
Jewish  parentage;  d.  Louisville,  Ky.,July  6,  1876.  Came  to  America,  1839.  Con- 
verted to  Christianity.  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1845.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Cl.  of 
Goshenhoppen,  1845.  Miss.  New  York  City,  1845-' 46.  Past.,  Farmersville,  etc., 
Northampton  co.,  Pa.,  1847— '52.  Agent  Am.  Tract  Soc.,  1852.  Past.,  Crawford  ch., 
O.,  1853;  Gallon,  O.,  i853-'62;  Louisville,  Ky.,  i862-'7o;  Supt.  of  Missions,  1870- 
71 ;  Galion  (2nd  time,)  1871-' 72;  w.  c.  on  account  of  ill  health,  1872-' 76. 


NECROLOGY.  4  J  3 

ISAAC  F.  STIELY,  b.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  May  12,  1800;  d.  Schuylkill  CO.,  Pa.,  Sept. 
13,1869.  Preceptors,  Dr.  F.  L.Herman  and  Thos.  H.  Leinbach.  Lie.,  "Free 
Syn.,"  1824;  ord.,  1827.  Past.  Schuylkill  co.,  Pa.,  i824-'69.  In  1836  he  united 
with  the  "Synod  of  the  U.  S.,"  but  in  1841  withdrew  and  helped  to  organize  the 
"  Independent,"  or  "  Stiely,"  Synod.  Subsequently  independent  until  1860,  when  he 
reunited  with  the  regular  synod. 

PHILIP  STIELY.  Brother  of  the  preceding.  Independent.  Columbia  and 
adjacent  counties,  Penna. 

PHILIP  STOCK,  b.  Ger.  —  :  d.  Wooster,  Ohio,  — .  Stud,  at  Duisburg.  Came  to 
America,  1789.  Ord.,  "  Coetus  Pa.,"  1791.  Preached,  York,  i-jZg-'go.  Past., 
Chambersburg,  Shippensburg,  and  Scherer's,  1791. 

JOHN  STO1XEBERGER,  b.  Frankfort  twp.,  Cumberland  co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  15, 
1820;  d.  Astoria,  111.,  Dec.  8,  1865.  Grad.  Lane  Theol.  Sem.,  Cincinnati,  O.,  1848. 
Lie.,  Miami  Cl.,  1847;  ord.,  1848.  Miss.  Union  co.,  111.,  i848-'so;  Patton,  Mo.,  1852- 
'59;  Astoria,  111.,  i85g-'65.  Author  of  "  Church  Member's  Manual,"  1855. 

JOHN  S.  STONER,  b.  Stark  co.,  O.,  July  27,  1853  ;  d-  Wooster,  O.,  Sept.  i, 
1882.  Grad.  Heid.  Col.,  1875:  Theol.  Sem.,  Tiffin.  O.,  1877.  Lie.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1877; 
ord.,  1879.  Past.,  Navarre,  O.,  i879-'8i ;  Wooster,  O.,  i88i-'82. 

WILLIAM  STOY,  b.  Herborn,  Ger.,  Mar.  14,  1726;  d.  Lebanon,  Pa.,  Sept.  14, 
1801.  Studied  in  Germany.  Came  to  America  with  Schlatter,  1752.  Past.  Tulpe- 
hocken,  Pa.,  i752-*55 ;  Philadelphia,  1755-' 56  ;  Lancaster,  i758-'63  ;  Lebanon,  1763- 
'72.  Went  to  Leyden,  Holland,  ab.,  1772,  and  studied  medicine.  Returned  to 
America.  Preached  and  practiced  medicine,  Berks  and  Lebanon  counties,  1773-1801 , 
Independent  after  1770.  Member  Penna.  Legislature,  1784.  Discovered  a  supposed 
cure  for  hydrophobia,  which  bears  his  name. 

JOHN  ANDREW  STRASSBURGER,  b.  Upper  Milford,  Lehigh  co.,  Pa., 
Oct.  3,  1796;  d.  Sellersville,  Pa.,  May  2,  1860.  Preceptor,  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.  Lie., 
Syn.  U.  S.,  1818;  ord.,  1819.  Past.  Tohickon,  Indianfield,  and  Charlestown,  i8i8-'54. 

GEORGE  STRICKLAND,  b.  Chester  co.,  Pa.,  1811  ;  d.  Circleville,  O.,  1844. 
Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1841.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.S.,  1841;  ord.,  1842.  Past.  Circle- 
ville, O.,  i842-'44. 

ADAM  STUMP,  b.  Richville,  Stark  co.,  O.,  Mar.  27,  1816;  d.  Port  Jefferson,  O., 
Oct.  2,  1856.  Preceptors,  Dr.  Biittner  and  Geo.  Schlosser.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1840. 
Past.,  Reedsburg,  O.,  i84o-'45;  Carrollton,  i845-'si  ;  Rome  chg.,  Richland  co.; 
Port  Jefferson,  Shelby  co. 

FREDERICK  R.  STUMP,  brother  of  the  preceding,  b.  Stark  co.,  O.,  Apr.  20, 
1814;  d.  Port  Jefferson,  O.,  Nov.  n,  1850.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1843.  Past.  Fulton  ch., 
1843-45  ;  Union  ch.:  Jefferson  ch. 

"WILLIAM  STUMP,  brother  of  the  preceding,  b.  Jan.  27,  1823;  d.  St.  Paris,  O., 
Nov.  4,  1851.  Preceptors,  Rev.  J.  Steiner  and  Geo.  Schlosser.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Miami 
Cl.,  1849.  Past.,  Union  chg.,  i849~'5i. 

SAMUEL  SUTHER,  b.  Switzerland,  May  18,  1722  ;  d.  Orangeburg,  S.  C.,  Sept. 
28,  1788.  Came  to  America,  1739.  Teacher  in  Philadelphia,  1749.  Past.  Mecklen- 
burg, N.  C.,  J768-'7i ;  Guilford  and  Orange  cos.,  N.  C.,  i77i-'82  Mecklenburg  (2nd 
time)  1782-86;  Orangeburg  District,  S.  C.,  i786-'88. 

PETER  SWEIGERT,  b.  Franklin  co.,  Pa.,  Mar.  23,  1815  ;  d.  Millersville,  Pa., 
Oct.  22,1846.  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1845;  Lie.  and  ord.,  Lebanon  C!..  1845. 
Past.,  Millersville,  Lancaster  co.,  Pa.,  1845-' 46. 

JOHN  H.  SYKES,  b.  Barnsley,  Yorkshire,  England,  Nov.  5, 1834 ;  d.  Greencatles, 


414  NECROLOGY. 

Pa.,  Nov.  io,  1880.  Came  to  America,  1856.  Stud.  Allentown  Scm.  Lie.,  East  Pa. 
Cl.,  1863;  ord.,  1864.  Past.,  South  Easton,  Pa.,  1864-66;  Somerset,  i866-'67; 
Martinsburg,  1868-' 73;  Woodcock  Valley,  i&n-JT.  Greencastle,  i877~'8o.  Princi- 
pal of  Easton,  Pa.,  High-School,  1863.  Teacher  in  "Westmoreland  College"  and 
"  Juniata  Collegiate  Institute." 

J.  R.  TALLENTIRE.     Received  from  Methodist  Ch.    Member  of  Sandusky  Cl., 
Syn.  of  O.,  i840-*49. 

CONRAD  TEMPELMAN,  b.  Ger.,  ab.,  1687;  d.  near  Lebanon,  Pa.,  ab.,  1761. 

Preached  as  a  layman,  i727-'si.     Ordained   by   direction   of  the   Synod   of  North 

Holland,  1751.     Pastor  of  churches  in  Lancaster  and  Lebanon  cos.,  until  ab.,  1760. 

During  the  latter  years  of  his  ministry  he  was  blind. 
— THETJS  (Deiss.)    A  native  of  Switzerland.     Ord.,  1739,  by  Presb.  Synod.     Pastor 

of  churches  on  the  Congaree,  S.  C.,  i739-'75,  and  perhaps  longer. 
JOSEPH  B.  THOMPSON,  b.  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  9,  1820;  d.  Canaan, 

O.,  Oct  16,  1882.     Stud..  Mercersburg,  Pa.    Lie.  and  ord.,  1848.     Past.  Mansfield,  O., 

1848-' 52  ;  Tarlton,  Delaware,  Tremont,  Sidney,  Dayton  ;  Red  Bank,  Clarion  Co.,  Pa., 

i877-'82  ;  Canaan,  O.,  1882.     Supt.  Butler  Orphans'  Home,  ab.,  1870-' 77. 
FREDERICK.    TOBERBILLER.     A    native    of    Switzerland.     Settled     at 

Purrysburg,  S.  C.,  ab.,  1737,  and  labored  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  i737-'38 — 

perhaps  longer. 
DANIEL  S.  TOBIAS,  b.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  Mar.  23,  1804;  d.  Rebersburg,  Pa.,  Oct. 

29,  1864.     Preceptor,  Rev.  C.  G.  Herman.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1829.    Past.  Bloomsburg, 

Pa.,  i829-'5i :  Rebersburg,  i85i-'64. 
PETER  HENRY  TORSCHIUS— See  Dorstius. 
EDWIN  TOWN.     Lie.,  Cl.  of  Phila.,  1837.     Entered  Lutheran  church.     Received 

back  by  Cl.  of  Phila.,  and  dismissed  to  Cl.  of  Md.     Ord.,  1844.    Dismissed  to  Presb. 

Ch. 
GEORGE  F.  TROEGER.     Lie.   and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1822.    Past.  Chestnut 

Hill  chg.,  Northampton  Co.,  Pa.,  i822-*25. 
GEORGE  TROLDENIER,  b.  Anhalt  Cothen,  Ger.,  1754;  d.  Baltimore,  Md., 

Dec.  12,  1800.     Univ.  of  Halle.    Sent  to  America,  1786,  by  Synods  of  Holland.    Past. 

York,  Pa.,  1787-92;  Gettysburg,  1790-91,  (supply);  Baltimore,  ist  ch.,  1791-1800. 
TWIFOOT.     A   candidate  for  the  ministry  in  the  Episcopal  Church  who  was 

ordained  by  Coetus,  in  1779,  at  the  request  of  his  congregations. 
PETER  TENDICK,  b.  Veldenz,  Prussia,  May  26,  1826 ;  d.  Attica,  Seneca  co., 

O.,  Apr.  i,  1883.     Came  to  America,  ab.,  1851.     Grad.  Heidelberg  Col.,  1857.     Lie. 

and  ord..  Tiffin  Cl.,  1858.     Past.  Seneca  co.,  O.,  i858-'64.     Subsequently  disabled. 
JOHN  J.  UNGERER.     Theol.  Sem.,  Carlisle,  1826.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S., 

1827.     Past.,  Northumberland    and  Columbia   co.,  Pa  ;    Lycoming    co.     Agent   for 

S.  S.  Union  Missionary,  Washington,  D.  C.,  1833. 
FREDERICK.  "WILLIAM  VANDERSLOOT  ( Van  der  Sloot,)  b.  Germany 

—  ;  d.  Northampton  co.,  Pa.,  1803.     Co-rector  at  Dessau.     Came  to  America.  Past., 

Montgomery  co.,  Pa.;  Dryland  chg.,  Northampton  co.,  1802. 
FREDERICK  WILLIAM  VANDERSLOOT  (2d.,)  b.  Dessau.  Ger.,  Nov. 

Ir>  '773!  d.  York  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  14,   1831.     Studied  in  Europe.     Came  to  America, 

1801.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1802.     Past.,  Dryland  ch.,  i8o2-'n  ;  Germantown, 

Pa.,  1811-13;  Goshenhoppen,  i8i3-'i9 ;  Salem  ch.,  Fhilada.,  iSio-'j^;  Rockingham 

CO.,  Va.,  i824-'27  ;  Paradise  chg.,  York  co.,  i827-*3i. 


NECROLOGY.  415 

FREDERICK  WILLAM  VANDERSLOOT  (3d .,)  son   of  F.  W.   (ad.,)  b. 

Xorthampton  co.,  Pa.,  Dec.  8,  1803;  d.  York,  Pa.,  Sept.  u,  1878.  Stud.  Penua 
Col.,  Phila.;  Theol.  Sem.,  Carlisle,  1828.  Lie.  and  ord.,  "  Free  Synod,"  1830.  Past., 
York  co.,  Pa.,  1830-' 78. 

J.  SAMUEL  VANDERSLOOT,  b.  Dillsburg,  York  co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  20,  1834;  d. 
Philada.,  Pa.,  Dec.  6,  1882.  Read  law  and  admitted  to  the  bar.  Lie.  by  M.  E.  Ch., 
1874.  Received  and  ord.,  Phila.  Cl.,  1877.  Past.  St.  John's  Miss.,  West  Phila., 
1877-^81 ;  Grace  Miss.,  Phila.,  i88i-'82.  Author  of  several  popular  religious  works 

HAMILTON  VAN  DYKE,  b.  1807;  d.  Battzville,  N.  Y.,  1836"  Grad.  Hamil- 
ton Col.,  1826 ;  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.,  1828.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.,  U.  S.,  1832. 
Past.,  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  1832.  Entered  Ref.  (D.)  Ch.  Battzville,  N.  Y.,  1833- 
'36- 

JACOB  VAN  L.IXGE,  b.  — ;  d.  St.  Catharine,  Canada,  1845.  Ord.,  1841.  Past., 
Delaware,  O.,  1842-' 44;  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  1844.  St.  Catharine,  Ca.,  1845. 

LUDWIG  FERDINAND  VOCK.  Came  to  America,  Dec.  1749.  Pastor  in 
Lancaster,  Pa.,  1750. 

HENRY  ERNEST  FRED.  VOIGT,  b.  Leidenhausen,  Lippe  Detmold,  Ger., 
Nov.  2,  1785;  d.  Mount  Pleasant,  Pa.,  Jan.  14,  1875.  Univ.  of  Jena.  Ass't  Past,  at 
Bega  ;  Past,  at  Augustdorf.  Came  to  America,  ab.,  1824.  Past.,  Northampton  co., 
Pa.;  Eastern  Ohio,  i829-'32  ;  Somerset  co.,  Pa.;  Westmoreland  co.,  Pa.,  1833 — ab., 
72. 

CASPAR  WACK,  b.  Phila.,  Aug.  15,  1752;  d.  Trappe,  Pa.,  July  19,  1839.  Pre- 
ceptor, Dr.  C.  D.  Weyberg.  Lie.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1770;  ord.,  1772.  Past.  Tohickon, 
etc.,  i77i-'82  ;  German  Valley  etc.,  N.  J.,  1782-1809 ;  Germantown  and  Whitemarsh, 
i8c9-'2i ;  Whitemarsh,  i82i-'23. 

JOHN  JACOB  WACK,  bro.  of  the  preceding,  b.  — ;  d.  Fort  Plain,  N.  Y.,  ab., 
1851.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Casper  Wack.  Ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1795.  Past.  Amwell,  etc., 
N.  J.,  1795-1805 ;  Mohawk  Valley,  N.  J.,  iSos-'si.  Chaplain  in  American  army,  1812. 
Independent  after  1816. 

GEORGE  WACK,  eldest  son  of  Rev.  Casper  Wack,  b.  Bucks  co.,  Pa.,  Mar.  i, 
1776  ;  d.  near  Centre  Square,  Montgomery  co.,  Feb.  17,  1856.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1801. 
Past.  Boehm's  Ch.,  Wentz's,  Hilltown,  etc.,  Pa.,  i8o2-'46.  Subsequently  without 
charge. 

CHARLES  P.  WACK,  grandson  of  Rev.  Casper  Wack,  b.  — ;  d.  1866.  Theol. 
Sem.,  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  18:9.  Lie.  and  ord,  "  Free  Synod,"  1830.  Past.  Race 
st.  ch.,  Phila.,  iSso-'si.  Entered  Ref.  (Dutch)  ch.,  1831.  Past.  Carolina  ch.,  N.  J., 
1831  ;  Bellona,  i83i-'35  ;  Lebanon,  i835-'4O  ;  Trenton,  ist,  i84i-'45.  Returned  to 
German  Ref.  Ch.,i845  ;  w.  c.,  i845~'66.  Resided  in  Easton,  Pa. 

DANIEL  WAGNER,  b.  Eibelshausen,  Nassau,  Ger.,  Jan.  n,  1750;  d.  York,  Pa., 
Dec.  17,  1810.  Came  to  America  with  his  parents,  1752.  Preceptors,  Drs.  Gross  and 
Hendel.  Lie.,  Coetus  Pa.,  1771  ;  ord.,  1772.  Past.,  Kreutz's  Creek,  York  co.,  1771- 
'74;  York,  Pa.,  i774-'86  ;  Tulpehocken,  etc.,  i786-'93  ;  York,  Pa.,  (2d  time,)  1793- 
1802;  Frederick,  Md.,  i8o2-'io. 

HENRY  WAGNER,  b.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  April  3,  1802  ;  d.  Lebanon,  Pa.,  May  25, 
1869.  Thed.  Sem.,  Carlisle,  1828.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1828.  Past., 
Milton,  Paradise,  Turbutville,  etc.,  Pa.,  i828-'35 ;  Lebanon,  etc.,  1835 -'51  ;  McCon- 
nellsburg,  i8si-'53  ;  Mercersburg,  1853-' 56;  Orwigsburg,  etc.,  i856-'6s. 

FREDERICK  WAHL,  b.  Wurtemberg,  Ger.,  Mar.  21,  1821;  d.  Hallsville,  O., 
i38i.  Came  to  America,  1832.  Minister  of  Evangelical  Association,  i84i-'4S. 


416 


NECROLOGY. 


Entered  Ref.  Ch.,  1845.     Past,  of  charges  in  Ohio,  Western  Penna.,  Indiana,  and 

Iowa,  i845-'78.    Dis.  to  Presb.  Ch.,  1878. 
FREDERICK  H.  WAHLERS,  b.  Hanover,  Ger.,  Sept.  10,1844;  d.  Crothers- 

ville,  Ind.,  Mar.  18,  1868.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Ind.  Cl.,  1867.     Past.  Crothersville,  Ind., 

i;67-'68. 
JOHN  WALDSCHMIDT,  b.  Nassau,  Ger.,  Aug.  6,  1724;  d.  Lancaster  CO.,  Pa., 

Sept.   14,  1786.     Ord.  in  Holland.     Came  to  America  wiili  Schlatter,  1752.     Past., 

White  Oak,  etc.,  Lancaster  Co.,  i752-'86.     Sup.  Tulpehocken  and  Heidelberg,  Berks 

co.,  i736-'58. 
FREDERICK  WALK,  b.  Franklin  Co.,  Pa.,  1811  ;  d.  Phila.,  Pa.,  Oct.  24,  1880. 

Lie.  and  ord.,  Phila.  Cl.,  1874,  Miss,  to  Germans  in  New  Jersey. 

GEORGE  WALLAUER.  Came  to  America,  1771.  Past.,  Baltimore,  Md., 
1772-1776.  Returned  to  Europe.  Uncle  of  Rev.  J.  W.  Dechant. 

JACOB  WEAVER,  b.  Middletown,  Md  ,  Jan.  28,  1810;  d.  Sidney,  O.,  Dec.  28, 
1882.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Lancaster  cl.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1847.  Past.,  Jerusalem  ch.,  O.,  Port 
Jefferson,  St.  Paris,  North  Clayton,  Sidney,  etc. 

WILLIAM  C.  WEBB,  b.  August  12,  iSn;  d.  Cavetown,  Md.,  Dec.  26,  1848. 
Lie.,  Md.  Cl.,  1839. 

JESSE  STROUD  WEBER,  b.— ab.  1832  ;  d.  Absecom,  N.  J.,  July  27, 1860.  Lie., 
Phila.  Cl.,  1860. 

JOHN  WILLIAM  WEBER,  b.,  Witgenstein,  Ger.,  March  5,  1735;  d.  West- 
moreland co.,  Pa.,  July,  1816.  Lie.,  Ccetus,  Pa.,  1771  ;  ord.  1772.  Past.,  North- 
ampton co.  (now  Monroe  co.),  Pa.,  i77i-'82;  Pittsburgh,  Mt.  Pleasant,  Greensburg, 
etc.,  1783-1816.  First  regular  minister  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 

JOHN  H.  WEIKEL.  Past.,  Boehm's  ch.,  etc.,  Montgomery  co.,  Pa.,  i77O-'8i. 
See  page  239. 

CHRISTIAN  WEILER,  b.  Baden,  Ger.,  Jan.  28,  1804;  d.  Gallon,  O.,  Jan.  3, 
1875.  Preceptor,  Dr.  H.  Bibighaus.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Free  Synod,  1836.  Past.,  Or- 
wigsburg,  Pa.,  1836;  Reamstown,  1837-49;  Crawford  co.,  O.,  1849-60. 

HENRY  WEIDER  (Weidner),  b.  Switzerland;  d.  near  Baltimore,  Md.,  1811. 
Class-leader  in  Second  Ref.  ch.,  Baltimore,  1774.  Licensed  by  "United  Ministers," 
1776.  Pastor  of  Bermudian  ch.,  Adams  co.,  1790. 

JACOB  WEYMER  (Weimer),^.  Ger. ;  d.  Hagerstown,  Md.,  1790.  Past., 

Berks  and  Lehigh  cos.,  Pa.,  1770-71  ;  Hagerstown,  etc.,  Md.,  1771-90.  Organized 
churches  at  Chambersburg,  Greencastle,  and  Grindstone  Hill,  Pa. 

WILLIAM  WEINEL,  b.  near  Gelbhausen,  Ger.,  Jan.  27,  1781;  d.  Leechburg, 
Pa.,  Jan.  28,  1865.  Came  to  America,  1799.  Preceptors,  Drs.  C.  L.  and  J.  C.  Becker. 
Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1815;  ord.  1819.  Past.,  Westmoreland  and  Armstrong  cos., 
i8i5-54- 

DANIEL  WEISER,  D.  D.,  b.  Selinsgrove,  Pa.,  Jan.  13,  1799;  d.  East  Green- 
ville,  Pa.,  Dec.  2,  1875.  Preceptors,  Rev.  J.  R.  Reily  and  Yost  H.  Fries.  Lie.,  Syn. 
U.  S..  1823;  ord.,  1824.  Past.,  Selinsgrove,  etc.,  i823~'33;  New  Goshenhoppen  and 
Great  Swamp,  1833-' 63.  Translated  and  published  Mead's  "Almost  a  Christian," 
1830. 

GEORGE  MICHAEL  WEIS  (Weiss—  Wtitzius),  b.  Stebbeck,  Palatinate,  Ger., 
ah.  1700;  d.  New  Goshenhoppen,  Pa.,  ab.  1763.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Heidelberg,  Ger., 
1725.  Came  to  America,  1727.  Past.,  Phila.  and  Skippack,  i727-'29-  Mission  to 
Europe,  1729.  Returned  to  America,  1731.  Labored  in  New  York  (Burnetsfield, 


NECROLOGY.  4 1  / 

Rhinebeck,  etc.),  i73i-'46;  New  and  Old  Goshenhoppen,  and  Great  Swamp,  Pa., 
i746-'63.  Published  several  pamphlets.  Earliest  Reformed  minister  in  Philada. 

GEORGE  WEI*Z,  b.  Northumberland,  Pa.,  June  21,  1793:  d.  Lancaster,  O., 
Mar.  10,  1859.  Rev.  I.  Gerhart  and  Dr  S.  Helffe'nstein.  Lie.,  Syn.  U  S.,  1817; 
ord.  1819.  Labored  in  Fairfield,  Perry,  Pickaway,  and  Ross  counties,  O  ,  1817*56. 

CASPER  DIETRICH  WEYBKRG,  D.  D.,  b.  Switzerland, ;  d.  Phila., 

Sept.  26,  1790.  Ord.  in  Europe.  Came  to  America,  ab.  1762.  Past.,  Easton,  Pa., 
1763.  First  ch.,  Philada.,  1763-90.  See  page  213. 

SAMUEL  WEYBERG  (WhybarK),  son  of  the  preceding,  b.  Phila.,  Sept.  19, 
'773  :  d.  Whitewater,  Mo.,  June  18,  1833.  Preceptors,  Dr.  F.  L.  Herman  and  C. 
Wack.  Lie.  and  Ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1793.  Made  extensive  missionary  journeys. 
Past.,  North  Carolina,  ab.  1795-1803;  Cape  Girardeau,  Missouri,  i8o3~'33.  He  is  said 
to  have  preached  the  first  Protestant  sermon  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  1803. 

DAVID  H.  WHITMORE,  b.  Augusta  co.,  Va.,  April  24,  1843,  4-  near  Martins- 
burg,  W.  Va.,  Mar.  3,  1883.  Grad.  Mercersburg  col.,  1872.  Theol.  Sem.,  Lancaster, 
Pa.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Mercersburg  cl.,  1875.  Past.,  Friends'  Cove  chg.,  Bedford  Co., 
Pa.,  :875-'8i. 

ANDERSON  J.  WHITMORE,  brother  of  the  preceding,  b.  Augusta  co.,  Va., 

June  20,  1846;  d.  January  16,  1883.  Grad.  Mercersburg  col.,  1875.  Lie.  and 

ord.,  Va.  cl.,  1876.  Miss.,  Middlebrook,  Va.,  1876-79;  Mint  Spring,  i879-'8i. 

HENRY  WIEGAND,  b.  Helmarshausen,  Hesse,  Ger.,  April  6,  1810;  d.  White 
Pigeon,  Mich.,  Oct.  20,  1872.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Cl.  of  Zion,  1841.  Past.,  Lycoming  co., 
Pa.,  i84i-'57;  Michigan,  1857-' 72. 

CHARLES  J.  WIESER,  b.  Ger. ;  d.  Abilene,  Kansas,  Feb.  22,  1877." 

Lie.  and  ord.,  Tiffin  Cl.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1874.  Miss.  Wathena,  Kan.,  i874~'75;  Olney, 
111.,  1875-' 76;  Turkey  Creek,  Kan.,  1876-' 77. 

JACOB  H.  WIESTLING,  b.  near  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  1793;  d.  Hanover,  Penna., 
1826.  Lie.,  Syn.,  U.  S.,  1812  ;  ord.,  1822.  Past.  Hanover,  etc.,  Pa.,  1812-' 26. 

D1EDRICH  WILLERS,  D.  D.,  b.  Walle,  near  Bremen,  Ger.,  Feb.  6,  1798  ;  d. 
Varick,  N.  Y.,  May  13,  1883.  Served  as  a  soldier  at  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  1815. 
Came  to  America,  1819.  Preceptors,  Rev.  J.  Geiger  and  J.  C.  Becker.  Lie.  and 
ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1821.  Past.  Bearytown,  etc.,  Seneca  co.,  N.  Y.  i82i-'82. 

HENRY  WILLIARD,  b.  Burkittsville.  Md.,  Apr.  8,  1810;  d.  Lancaster,  O.,  Nov. 
29,  '875-  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.,  1837.  Lie.,  Cl.  of  Md.,  1837  ;  ord.,  1838.  Miss. 
Plymouth,  O.,  1837.  Past.  Lancaster,  O.,i838-'44;  Xenia  chg.,  i844-*5o;  Lancas- 
ter, etc.  (supply) ;  Shelby  chg.,  i854-'57 ;  Columbus,  i857-'6s  ;  Circleville,  i865-'69  ; 
Jerusalem  and  Mt.  Zwingli,  (supply)  i86^-'73;  Gallon,  (Eng.,)  i873~'75. 

BERNHARD  F.  WILLY,  b.  Graubundem,  Switz.— ;  d.  Woodstock,  Va.,  May 
1810.  Ord.  in  Europe.  Sent  to  America  by  Synods  of  Holland  1784.  Past.  Read- 
ing, Pa.,  i78s-'86  ;  Woodstock,  Va.,  etc.  Independent,  1786-1810. 

JOHN  C.  "VVILMS,  b.  1738;  d.  Lancaster  co. ,  Pa.,  Mar.  8,  1802. 

ELIJAH  B.  "WILSON,  b.  Milton, .Pa.,  Aug.  18,  1818  ;  d.  Adams  co.,  Pa.,  May 
17,  1868.  Minister  of  "  Evangelical  Association,"  Lie.,  Zion  Cl.,  1863;  ord.,  Mer- 
cersbiirg  Cl.,  1863.  Past.  Strasburg  chg.,  i863~'64 ;  Grindstone  Hill,  i864-'66 : 
Orangeville,  i866-'68. 

CHRISTIAN  WEINBRENNER,  b.  Feb.  7,  1789;  d.  Woodbury,  Pa.,  Feb.  12, 
1858.  Ord.,  "  Free  Synod,"  1834.  Past.  Bedford  and  Huntingdon  cos.  Independ- 
ent after  1846. 

JOHN  WEINBRENNER,  b.  Frederick  co.,  Md.,  Mar.  25,  1797;  d.  Harrisburg, 
-7 


4i8 


NECROLOGV. 


Pa.,  Sept.  12,  1860.     Preceptor,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.S., 

i8ao.  .Past.  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  etc.,  1820  -  .    Name  erased  1828.    Founder  of  "Church 
of  God  "  or  "  Weinbrennerians."     See  page  278. 
JOHN  HERMAN  WINKHAUS,  b.  Altena,   Prussia,  Nov.  26,  1758;  d.  Phila., 

l';i.,  Oct.  3,  1793.     Stud.  Univ.  of  Duisburg.     Ord.,  1780.     Pastoral  Berchum,  1780- 

'82.     Came  to  America,    1784.     Past.  Worcester,  Whitpain,  and    New  Providence, 

i73t-'8o..    Supt.  Lower  Saucon,  i784-'87;  Race  St.,  Phila.,  i79<>-'93.     Died  of  yellow 

fever. 
THOMAS  WINTERS,  b.  Frederick  CO.,  Md.,  Dec.  18,  1777;  d.  West  Alexandria, 

O.,  Oct.  2,  1863.     Lie.  by  Otterbein  and  others,  and  served  as  missionary  in  Ohio, 

iS^o-'is.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1815  ;  ord.,  1819.     Past,  for  20  years  at  Germantown,  O. 

Founded  many  churches,  and  prepared  young  men  for  the  ministry.     His  field  of 

labor  at  one  time  extended  over  seven  counties. 
JOHN  CONRAD  WIRTZ  (lt-'uertz),b.  Zurich,  Switz.;  d.  Yo/k,  Pa.,  Sept.  21, 

1763.     Preached  irregularly  at  Egypt,  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  i742-*44;  Saucon  and  Spring- 

field, 1746(7)-'  49  ;  Rockaway  and  Valley,  N.  J.,  i75O-'6i.     Ord.,  Presbytery  of  New 

Brunswick,  1751  ;  York,  Pa.,  i76i-'63. 
FREDERICK  \VISE,  b.  Madisonburg,  Centre  Co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  u,  1818  ;  d.  South 

Bend,  Armstrong  Co.,  June  30,  1876.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Clarion  Cl.,  1852.     Past.  South 

Bend  chg.,  1852-'  76. 
JOHN  JACOB  WISSLER,   b.    Dillenberg,  Nassau,—;  d.  Egypt,  Lehigh  co., 

Pa.,  1755.     Came  to  America  with  Schlattcr,  1752.     Past.  Egypt  chg.,  i752-*55.     In 

1757  Coetus  made  a  gift  to  his  widow. 
JOHN  GEORGE  WITNER,  b.  —  ;  d.  Dec.  25,  1779.     Came  to  America  before 

1769.     Past.  Bethany  chg.,  Lancaster  co.,   1766-'  70;  Upper   Milford  and  Saltzburg, 

Lehigh  co.,  1771-'  79. 
WILLIAM  WITZGALL,  b.  Voigtland,  Saxony,  1820;  d.  Napoleon,  O.,  June 

22,  1870.     Lie.,  Tiffin  Cl.,  1859  :  ord.,  1860.     Past,  of  churches  near  Napoleon. 
BERNARD  C.  WOLFF,  D.  D.,  b.  Martinsburg,  W.  Va.,  Dec.   n,  1794;  d. 

Lancaster,  Pa.,  Nov.   j,  1870.     Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa..     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,   1832  ; 

ord.,  East  Pa.,  Cl.,  1833.     Past.  Easton,  Pa.,  1833-'  44  ;  Third  ch.,  Baltimore,  Md., 

i844-'54.     Prof,  of  Didactic  and  Practical  Theol.,  Mercersburg,  i854-'64. 
DAVID  W.  "WOLFF,  b.  near  Carlisle,  Pa.,  Nov.  29,  1829  ;  d.  Carlisle,  Mar.  16, 

1876.     Grad.  F.  &  M.  Col.,  1854;  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg,  1856.     Lie.  and  ord., 

1856.      Past.    Danville,    Pa.,   i85O-'6i;  Schuylkill   Haven,    1862;    Mahanoy,   1865; 

Conowago  chg.,  Adams  co.,  i866-*73  ;  St.  Petersburg  chg.,  Clarion  Cl.,  1873-'  76. 
JOHN  G.  WOLFF,  b.  Martinsburg,  W.  Va.,  April  24,  1811  ;  d.  Lancaster,  Pa., 

Jan.  22,  1878.     Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.     Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1836;  ord.,  1838.     Past. 

Martinsburg,  Pa.,  1831  ;  Taneytown,  Md.,  1841  ;  —  Va.,  1851  ;  McConnelsville,  Pa., 

1857;  Alexandria;  w.  c.,  i86i-'78. 
ANDREW  S.  YOUNG,  b.  Bucks  co.,  Pa.,  1811  ;  d.  Allentown,  Pa.,  Feb.  15,  1848. 

Grad.  M.  Col.,  1838;  Theol.  Sem.  Mercersburg.     Lie.,  Goshenhoppen  Cl.,  and  ord., 

Phila.   Cl.,   1843.     Past.,  Trappe,   Pa.,   1843-'  44  !    Mount   Bethel,   1846.     Founded 

Allentown  Female  Seminary  ab.  1847. 
DANIEL   YOUNG,   b.  Goshen,  N.  Y.,   1795  :   d.  Augusta,  Ga.,  Mar.  6,  1831. 

Grad.   Union    Col.,  1819;    Theol.  Sem.,  Princeton,  N.  J.     Lie.,  1822  ;  ord.,  Presby- 

tery of  Hudson,  1823.    Entered   Ref.  Ch.,   1829.    Asst.   Prof,  of  Theol.,  York,  Pa., 


DANIEL    ZACHARIAS,  D.  ».,  b.   Washingtoi    co.,  Md.,  Jan.   14,   1805;    d. 


NECROLOGY.  4^9 

Frederick  City,  Md.,  Mar.  31,  1873.  Stud.  Jefferson  Col.,  Pa. ;  Theol.  Sem.,  Car- 
lisle, i8z6-'28.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1828.  Past.,  York  co.,  Pa.,  i828-'3o;  Har- 
risburg,  i83o-'35  ;  Frederick  City,  Md.,  1835-' 73. 

AMOS  F.  ZARTMAN,  b.  Glenford,  O.,  May  13,  1846;  d.  Tiffin,  O.,  Apr.  29, 1875. 
Grad.  Heidelberg  Col.,  1871  ;  Theol.  Sem.,  Tiffin,  1872.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  of  O., 
1872.  Past.,  Wooster,  O.,  1872-' 74. 

JOHN  NICHOLAS  ZEISER,  b.  Europe ;  d.  Luzerne  co.,  Pa.,  1840.     Lie., 

Syn.  U.  S.,  1821 ;  ord.  1821.  Past.,  Hanover,  Conyngham,  etc.,  Luzerne  co.,  Pa., 
1821-' 40. 

PHILIP  ZEISER,  son  of  the  preceding,  b.  Schalbach,  Ger.,  July  19,  1802  ;  d.  New 
Hamburg,  Pa.,  Jan.  25,  1875.  Came  to  America  with  his  parents,  1819.  Lie.  and 
ord.,  "  Free  Synod,"  1824.  Past.,  Mercer  and  Crawford  cos.,  Pa.,  1825-' 48.  Subse- 
quently physically  disabled. 

DANIEL  ZELLER,  b.  Tulpehocken,  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  May  27,  1792,  d.  Allentown, 
Pa.,  April  12,1868.  Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1815;  ord.  1818.  Past.,  Saucon  chg.,  Lehigh 
co.,  Pa.,  1815-57. 

JONATHAN  ZELLER,  nephew  of  the  preceding,  b.  near  Lewisburg,  Pa. 
Jan.  10,  1806 ;  d.  Lock  Haven,  Pa.,  Aug.  3, 1877.  Stud.  Dickinson  Co.  ;  Theol.  Sem., 
York,  Pa.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1830.  Past.,  Huntington  and  Bedford  cos., 
1830-39.  Subsequently  physically  disabled. 

HENRY  K.  ZERBE,  b.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  July  21,1813;  d.  Basil,  July  28,1846, 
Lie.  and  ord.,  1845.  Past.,  Basil  chg.,  Fairfield  co.,  O.  i845-'46. 

DANIEL  ZIEGLER,  D.  D.,  b.  Reading,  Pa.,  July  n,  1804;  d.  York,  Pa.,  May 
23,  1876.  Theol.  Sem.,  York,  Pa.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1830.  Kreutz  Creek, 
etc.,  York  co. ;  First  church  (German),  York,  Pa. 

WILLIAM  H.  ZIMMERMAN,  b.  Frederick  co.,  Md.,  Sept.  i,  1817;  d.  Freder- 
ick, Md.,  Nov.  22,  1873.  Preceptor,  Rev.  Dr.  D.  Zacharias.  Lie.,  Maryland  Cl., 
1839;  ord.  1840.  Past.,  Clearspring  eh.,  i84o-'43.  Subsequently  physically  disabled. 

HENRY  K.  ZINK,  b.  Hamburg,  Ger.,  June  15,  1817;  d.  Philipsburg,  O.,  May  2, 
1882.  Came  to  America,  1848.  Lie.  and  Ord.,  St.  John's  Cl.,  1861.  Past.,  Warren, 
O.,  i86i-'64;  New  Bedford  chg.,  i864-'6s  ;  Phillipsburg  chg.,  i865~'82.  He  was  blind 
for  many  years,  but  faithfully  attended  to  his  pastoral  duties. 

JOHN  JOACHIM  ZTJBLY,  D.  D.  (Zubley,  Ziibli,  and  Ziiblin),  b.  St.  Gall, 
Switz.,  Aug.  24,  1724  ;  d.  Savannah,  Ga.,  July  23,  1781.  See  page  235. 

JOHN  ZUFALL.     Past.  Tulpehocken  chg.,  Pa.,  ^s-'og. 

JOHN  ZUILCH,  b.  Cassel,  Ger.,  Apr.  3,  1796;  d.  Steinsville,  Lehigh  co.,  Pa.,  Feb. 
2,  1875.  Came  to  America  with  his  parents,  1800.  Preceptor,  Dr.  S.  Helffenstein. 
Lie.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1816;  ord.,  1819.  Past.  Lehigh,  Berks,  Schuylkill,  and  Carbon, 
cos.,  (Jacob's,  Ringold,  Tamaqua,  McKeansburg,  etc.,)  i8i6-'75. 

GERHARD  HENRY  ZUMPE,  b.  Tecklenburg,  Ger.,  Jan.  12,  1803;  d.  Terre 
Haute,  Ind.,  Aug.  7,  1883.  Ed.  Berlin  Miss.  School,  for  missionary  work.  Came  to 
America,  1832.  Ord.  ab.,  1834.  Past.  Wayne  co.,  Ind.,  Clay  co.,  Evansville, 
Poland,  Clay  co.,  Terre  Haute. 

CHARLES  ZWISLER,  b.  Baltimore,  Md.,  Nov.  30,  1803;  d.  Canfield,  O.,  Sept. 
19,  1874.  Preceptor,  Dr.  C.  L.  Becker.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Syn.  U.  S.,  1825.  Past. 
Washington,  Fayette,  and  Westmoreland  cos.,  Pa.,  i825-'33 ;  Wooster  chg.,  O., 
Findfay,  i842-'43  ;  Summit  co.,  i843-'48  ;  New  Lisbon,  1848-' 49  ;  Canfield, 
;  Congress  chg.,  Wayne  co.;  Summit  CO.,  (2d  time,)  i857-'s8  ;  Canfield  (zd 
time,)  i8s8-'74. 


ADDENDA. 


J.  BOSSARD,  PH.  D.,  b.  Basel,  Switz.,  July  25,  1815  ;  d.  Franklin,  Wis.,  July  18, 

1885.  Came  to  America,  1847.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1848.     Past.   Ft.  Wayne,  Ind  ,  and 
Sheboygan,  Wis.     Prof,  in  Missionary  Institute  for  25  years.  ' 

ANDREW  J.  BOWERS,  b.  near  Weyer's  Cave,  Va.,  Oct.   14,  1836;  d.  June  6, 

1886.  Grad.  F.  &  M.  col.,  1864  ;  Theol.  Sem.,  1867.     Afterwards  studied  in  Germany. 
Lie.,  Va.  Cl.,  1870.     Prof.  Ursinus  col.     Ord.,  1875.     Past.  Mill  Creek,  Va.,  i875-'76. 

ISAAC  G.  BROWN,  b.  Union  co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  14, 1828 ;  d.  Wichita,  Kas.,  May  7, 1885. 

Grad.  F.  &  M.  C.,  1855  ;  Theol.  Sem.,  1857.    Lie.  and  ord.,  Mercersb.  Cl.,  1857.  Past. 

Mercersburg,  Pa.,  i8s7-'82  ;  Wichita,  Kas.,  i883-'8s. 
II  l.MtY  I.  COMFORT,  b.  Adams  Co.,  Pa.,  Aug.  19.,  1830;  d.  Burkettsville,  Md., 

Feb.  18,  1888.     Past.  Mechanicstown,  Md.;  Germantown,  O.,  Grindstone  Hill,  Pa.; 

Burkittsville,  Md.,  ete. 

FREDERICK  W.  DECHANT,  son  of  Rev.  J.  Wm.,b.  Macungie,  Pa.,  Dec.  25, 

1814;   d.  Reading,   Pa.,  Feb.  17,  1888.     Theol.   Sem.,  1846.     Lie.   and  ord.,   1847. 

Past.  Somerset,  O.;  Bluffton,  Ind.;  Harmony,  Pa.;  Egg  Harbor,  N.  J. 
JOHN  EICHEN,  b.  Baden,  Ger.,  Dec.  15,  1821  ;  d.  Olney,  II!.,  April  12, 1885.  Lie. 

and  ord.,  Tiffin  Cl.,  1857.     Past.  Crestline,  O.,  Linton,  Ind.,  Lanesville,  Olncy. 
WILLIAM  TRAUTMAN  GERHARD,  b.   Tulpehocken,  Pa.,  Dec.  10,  1809, 

d.  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Aug.  17,  1886.     Theol.  Sem.,  York,  1834.     Lie.,  "  Free  Synod," 

1855;  ord.  1836.    Past.  Berne  ch.,  i835-*38;  Cherryville,  etc.,  i838-'44  ;  Durham,  1844- 

'59;  Bethany,  etc.,  Lancaster  co.,  i859-'7o;  St  John's  (German)  Lancaster,  i87o-'75; 

Zwingli  ch.,  Harrisburg. 
JEREMIAH  H.  GOOD,  D.  D.,  b.  Rebersburg,  Pa.,  Nov.  22,  i8?2;  d.  Tiffin,  O., 

Jan.  25,  1888.     Grad.  M.  C.,i842;  Theol.  Sem.,   1846.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1846.     Past. 

Lancaster,  O.,  i846-'48.     Prof,  in   Western   Theol   Sem.,   and   Heidelberg   College. 

Founded  "  Western  Missionary,"  1848.     Author  of  several  religious  books. 
JOHN  GRING,  b.  Sinking  Spring,  Pa.,  March  15,  1801  ;  d.  Lebanon,  Pa.,  Dec.  13, 

1885.     Preceptor,   Rev.  J.  W.   Dechant.     Ord.,   1624.     Past.   Fredericksburg,  Pa., 

i824-'8i. 
TILLMANN  GROSSHUSCH,  b.  Rhine  Prussia,  1818;  d.  Timothy  Wis.,  March 

30,  1887.     Came  to  America,  1847.     Theol.   Sem.,  Tiffin,  O.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1857. 

Past.  Rochester,  N.  Y.;  Ebenezer;  Salem,  Wis.;  Zanesville,  Ind.;  Grand  Prairie,  111.; 

Linton  ;  Salem,  Wis. 
JOSEPH  HANNABERV,  d.  Ridgely,  Md.,  Feb.  27,  1883,  aged  58  years  and  2 

months.    Grad.  F.  &  M.  Col.,  1853.     Lie.  Phila.  Cl..  1853,  ord.  Va.  Cl.,  1854.     Past. 

Central  ch.,  Va.;  Strasburg,  Pa.;  Schellsburg;  Sugar  Grove,  O.;   New  Providence, 

Pa.;  Ridgely,  Md. 

DANIEL  YOST  HEISLER,  D.  D.,  b.  Berks  co.,  Pa.,  June  i,  1820;  d.  Easton, 

(420) 


NECROLOGY.  42  1 

Pa.,  Feb.  5,  1888.    Studied  at  M.  C.,  1839;  Theol.  Sem.,  1845.     Lie.  and  ord.,  Mer- 

cersburg  Cl.,  1845.  Past.  Fannetisburg,  Pa.,  i845-'46;  Columbia,  i846-'so;  Hummels- 

town,  i8s3-'s6;  Lewisburg,  i856-'s6;  Sunbury,  i856-'s8;  Bethlehem,  etc.,  i8s8-'66  ; 

Mont  Alto,  i86g-'77;  Grace   chapel,  Easton,   i877-'86.     Superintendent  of  Orphan 

Home,  i8e6-'6o..     Author  of  "  Wreathed  Cross,"  etc.     He  succeeded  Dr.  Harbaugh 

as  editor  of  the  "  Lives  of  the  Fathers."  t 

M.  ZWINGLI  HITTEL,  b.  Douglass  twp.,  Montgomery  CO.,  Pa.,  Sept.  3,  1857; 

d.  July  31,  1887.     Theol.  Sem.,  Tiffin,  O.,  1885.     Past.  Lima,  O.,  1886;  Chambers- 

burg,  Pa.,  1887. 
THOMAS  S.  JOHNSTON,  D.  D.,  b.  Phil'a.,  Pa.,  Aug.  4,  1818;  d.  Lebanon,  Pa., 

June  ii.  1887.     Past.  M.  E.  church,  10  years;  Presbyterian  ch.,  West  Phila.,  n  years. 

Entered   Reformed  ch.,  1864.     Past.  St.  John's  ch.,  Lebanon,  Pa.,  i864-'85.     Sec.  of 

Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  i88s-'87. 
HENRY  KELLER,  b.  Boalsburg,  Pa.,  Sept.  20,  1850;  d.  April  20,  1887.    Grad. 

F.  &  M.  col.,  1874;  Theol.  Sem.,  1877.     Lie.,  1877;  ord.,  1879.     Past.   Maquoketa, 

Iowa. 
MOSES  KIEFFER,  D.  D.,  b.  Franklin  CO.,  Pa.,  May  5,  1814;  d.  Sioux  City, 

Feb.  3,  1888.     Grad.  M.  C.,  1838.     Lie.  and  ord.,  1840.     Past.  Water  Street  ch.,  1840- 

'44;  Hagerstown,  Md.,  i844-'si  ;  Reading,  Pa.,  2d  ch.,  iSsi-'ss  ;  Greencastle,  1871- 

'74  ;  Gettysburg,  1871-80.     Prof,  of  Theology  and   Pres.  Heidelberg  col.,  i85i-'68. 

See  p.  337. 
JOHN  KL.IXGLER,  b.  Perry  co.,  O.,  July  21,  1818  ;  d.  Upper  Sandusky,  O.,  Nov. 

20,  1886.     Past.  Bedding,  O.;  Upper  Sandusky,  Stoutsville,  etc. 
GEORGE  H.  MARTIN,  D.  D.,  b.  near  Emmittsburg.Md.,  1815  ;  d.  Timberville, 

Va.,  Sept.  19,  1887.     Grad.  M.  C.,  1838;  Theol.  Sem.,  1841.     Lie.  1841;  ord.  1843. 

Pastor  Lovettsville,  etc.,  Va.,  i843-'84;  Burkittsville,  Md.  ;  Timberville,  Va. 
JOHN  MECKLY,  b.  Hanover,  Pa.,  Nov.  2,  1812  ;  d.  Petersburg,  O.,  Apr.  16,  1886. 

Lie.,  by  U.  B.  ch.     Entered  Ref.  ch.,  1869.     Past.  Berlin,  O.,  1870;  Springfield,  O., 


JONAS  MICHAEL,  b.  Champaign  CO.,  O.,  May  24,  1819  ;  d.  Dec.  19,  1887.  Past. 
Winamac,  Ind.;  Liberty  Centre,  O. 

JOHN  K.  MILLETT,  b  Berks  CO.,  Pa.,  June  13,  1836  ;  accidentally  drowned  near 
Watsontown,  Pa.,  Sep.  9,  1885.  Lie.,  1860;  ord.,  1861.  Past.  Nittany  ch.,  i86i-*73  ; 
Paradise  ch.,  i873-'85.  A  volume  of  his  sermons  has  been  published. 

JOHN  "WILLIAMSON  NEVIN,  D.  D.,  LL.  !>.,  d.  June  6,  1886.  See  page 
289. 

JOHN  ItUIIL,  M.  ».,  b.  Iba,  Hesse,  May  4,  1821;  d.  Frostburg,  Md.,  May  25, 
1885.  Came  to  America,  1836.  Lie.  and  ord.,  Sandusky  CI.,  1845.  Past.  Congress, 
O.;  Akron,  Defiance,  Basil,  Frostburg,  Md.,  i869-'85.  Physically  disabled,  i86o-'69. 

DAVID  WINTERS,  D.  D.,  son  of  Rev.  Thomas,  b.  Martinsburg,  W.  Va.,  Dec. 
24,  1801  ;  d.  Dayton,  O.,  May  9,  1885.  Lie,  and  ord.,  Syn.  of  O.,  1824.  Past.  Mont- 
gomery, Greene,  and  Miami  co's,  O.;  Dayton,  O.,  i833-'so;  Mt.  Zion  ch.,  i8so-'8o. 

JACOB  D.  ZEHRINCJ,  b.  Lebanon  co.,  Pa.,  July  25,  1817;  d.  Codorus,  Pa.,  Feb. 
5,  1887.  Theol.  Sem.,  Mercersburg.  Lie.  and  ord.,  1846.  Past.  Palmyra,  Pa.;  Pet- 
ersburg; Hart;  Emanuel,  Jefferson,  Pa.  Subsequently  lived  in  retirement. 


MEETINGS  OF  SYNODS. 


COETUS    OF    PENNSYLVANIA.1 


^ 
<\ 

Place. 

Presidents. 

3 
i" 

? 

Place. 

Presidents. 

1746 

1747 
1748 

1749 
1750 
1751 
1752 

1753 

J754 
1735 
1756 
1757 
1758 

1759 
1760 
176: 
1762 
1763 
1764 
1765 
1766 
1767 
1768 
1769 
1770 
1771 

Philadelphia  .  .  . 

Lancaster  
Philadelphia  .  .  . 

(Prelim.  Meeting  ) 
M.  Schlatter. 
I.  Philip  Boehm. 
j.  B.  Rieger. 
G.  M.  Weiss. 
I.  P.  Leydich. 

1772 
1773 
'774 
'775 
1776 

'777 
1778 

Lancaster  
Lancaster  

John  T.  Faber. 
C.  L.  Boehm. 
A.  Blumer. 
F.  Dalliker. 
J.  C.  Gobrecht. 
J.  H.  Helfrich. 

W.  Hendel. 

A.  Helffenstein. 
C.  D.  Weyberg. 
Nicholas  Pomp. 

A.  Blumer. 
f.  H.  Helfrich. 
F.  Dalliker. 

W.  Hendel. 
F.  Dalliker. 
W.  Hendel. 
D.  Wagner. 

J.  G.  Alsentz. 
C.  M.  Stapel. 

Philadelphia  .  .  . 
Lebanon  
Lancaster.  .  .  .  '. 
Reading  
No  Meeting. 

Philadelphia  .  .  , 

1780 
1781 
1782 

1783 
1784 
1785 
1786 
1787 
I-rSR 

No  Meeting. 
Philadelphia  .   .   . 
Reading  
Philadelphia  .    .   . 
Lancaster. 

Lancaster  
Philadelphia  .  .  . 
Lancaster  
Philadelphia  .  .  . 
Goshenhoppen  .  . 
Falkener  Swamp  . 
Lancaster  

G.  M.  Weiss. 

W.  Otterbein. 
].  C.  Steiner. 
J.  Waldschmidt. 
i.  Philip  Leydich. 
G.  Alsentz. 

Philadelphia  .  .  . 
Lancaster  

Lancaster  (?).  .  . 
Philadelphia  .  .  . 

.  M.  Stapel. 
J.  G.  Alsentz. 

1789 
I790 

Philadelphia  .  .  . 
Falkener  Swamp  . 



1792 

1755 
1760 
1763 

Philadelphia  .  .  . 

Special  Meetings. 
Lancaster  (?) 
Germantown  (?)  .  . 
Philadelphia  (?)    . 

Germantown.  .  . 
Philadelphia  .  .  . 
Reading  

Nicholas  Pomp. 
F.  L.  Henop. 

1  The  minutes  of  the  years  in  which  the  place  of  meeting  is  not  indicated  are  believed 
to  be  no  longer  in  existence. 

SYNOD    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES. 


K: 
** 

1793 
'794 
1705 
1796 
1/97 
1798 

'799 
1  800 
1801 
1802 
1803 
1804 
1805 
1806 

Place. 

Presidents. 

3 
g' 
IS 

Place. 

Presidents. 

Lancaster,   Pa  .   . 
Reading,  Pa.    .   . 
Falkener  Sw'o,  Pa. 
Philadelphia,"  Pa  . 
York,  Pa  
Lancaster,   Pa  .    . 
Reading,  Pa  ... 
York,  Pa  

J.  H.  Winckhaus. 
Casper  Wack. 
J.  G.  Troldenier. 
Fred.  L.  Herman. 
Wm.  Hendel,  Jr. 
J.  H.  Helfrich. 
Daniel  Wagner. 
P.   R     Pauli. 
J.  W.  Runkel. 
W.  Hendel,  Jr. 
J.  H.  Helfrich. 
J.   Rahauser. 
C.  L.  Becker. 
J.  H.  Hoffmeier. 

807 

808 
809 
810 
8n 
812 
813 
814 
815 
816 
817 
818 
819 
820 

New  Holland,  Pa. 
Germantown,  Pa  . 
Hagerstown,  Pa  . 
Harrisburg,  Pa.    . 
Reading,  Pa  ... 
Philadelphia,  Pa  . 
Frederick,  Md  .   . 
Womelsdorf,  Pa  . 
Easton,  Pa.   .   .    . 
New  Holland,  Pa. 
York,  Pa  

L.  Hinsch. 
J.  T.  Faber,  Jr. 
G.  Geistweit. 
S.  Helffenstein. 
F.  L.  Herman 
P.  R.  Pauli. 
C.  L.  Becker. 
W.  Hendel,  Jr. 
Thomas  Pomp. 
Caspar  Wack. 
W.  Hendel,  Jr. 
J.  H.   Hoffmeier. 
Lewis  Mayer. 
S.  Helffenstein. 

Easton,  Pa.    .   .   . 
Philadelphia,  Pa  . 
Lebanon,  Pa  ... 
Reading,  Pa  .   .   . 
Lancaster,   Pa  .   . 
Baltimore,  Md  .   . 

Carlisle,  Pa.  .    .    . 
Lancaster,  Pa.  .    . 
Hagerstown.  Md. 

(422) 


MEETINGS   OF   SYNODS. 
SYNOD    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES  (Continued'). 


4-3 


K! 

i' 
$ 

Place. 

Presidents. 

3 

Place. 

President*. 

1821 

Reading,  Pa  ... 

L.  L.  Hinsch. 

1857 

Allentown,  Pa  .   . 

D.  Cans. 

1822 

H;irrisburg,  Pa.    . 

F.W.VanderSloot. 

1858 

Frederick,  Md  .    . 

J  .  H  .  A.  Bomberger. 

1823 

Baltimore,  Md  .   . 

Thomas  Pomp 

jiSsg 

Harrisburg,  Pa.    . 

P.  SchafT. 

1824 

Bedford,   Pa      .   . 

Wm.  Hendel. 

1800 

Lebanon.  Pa  ... 

J.W.  Kevin. 

182=; 

Philadelphia,  Pa  . 

A.  Helffenstein,  Sr 

1861 

Easton,  Pa.    .    .    . 

H.  Harbaugh. 

1826 

Frederick.  Md  .    . 

Fred.  Rahauser. 

1862 

Chambersburg,  Pa. 

E.  V.  Gerhart. 

i327:York,  Pa  

S.  Helffenstein. 

i863!Carlisle,  Pa.  ... 

C.  F.  McCauley. 

1828 

Mifflinburg,  Pa.   . 

T.  L.  Hoffeditz. 

1864 

Lancaster,  Pa    .    . 

B.  Bailsman. 

1820 

Lebanon.  Pa. 

Geo.  Wack. 

i86s 

Lewisbure'.  Pa  . 

S.  R.  Fisher. 

1830  Hagerstown,  Md. 

James  R.  Reily. 

1866  York,  Pa    .... 

John  S.  Foulk. 

1831 

Harrisburg,  Pa.    . 

H.  B.  Schaffner. 

1867 

Baltimore,  Md  .    . 

S.  N.  Callender. 

11232 

Frederick,  Md  .    . 

I.  W.  Dechant. 

1868 

Hagerstown,  Md  . 

Thomas  G.  Apple. 

'833 

Elision,  Pa.    .    .    . 

D.  Willers. 

1869 

Danville,  Pa  ... 

J.  W.  Nevin. 

1834 

Pittsburg,  Pa.   . 

S.  Gutelius. 

1870 

Mechanicsb'rg,Pa. 

A.  H.  Kremer. 

iS35-Chambersburg,  Pa. 

D.  Zacharias. 

1871 

Pottstown,  Pa  .    . 

J.  O.  Miller. 

1836 

Baltimore,  Md  .   . 

T.  L.  Hoffeditz. 

1872 

Martinsburg.W.Va 

M.  A.  Smith. 

iS37iSunbury,  Pa  ... 

D.  Willers. 

i873!Bloomsburg,  Pa  . 

C.  H.  Leinbach. 

1838 

Lancaster,  Pa.  .   . 

M.  Bruner. 

1874 

Bethlehem,  Pa  .    . 

N.  S.  Strassburger. 

1839 

Philadelphia,  Pa  . 

B.  S.  Schneck. 

1875 

Lancaster,  Pa  .   . 

I.  E.  Graeff. 

1840 

Greencastle,  Pa.  . 

B.  C.  Wolff. 

!i8?6 

Reading,  Pa  . 

John  Beck. 

1841  i  Reading,  Pa  .   .   . 

T.  L.  Hoffeditz. 

!i877  Allentown,  Pa  .    . 

G.W.Aughinbaugh 

1842 

I.ewisbure.  Pa  .    . 

John  Cares. 

1878 

Easton.  Pa.    . 

J.H.A.Bomberger. 

1843  Winchester,  Va.  . 

J.  F.  Berg. 

1879  Lebanon,  Pa  .    .    . 

C.  Z.  Weiser. 

1844 

Allentown,  Pa  .   . 

H.  Bibighaus. 

1880 

Meyerstown,  Pa  . 

A.  S.  Leinbach. 

1845  York,  Pa    .    .    .    . 

B.  S.  Schneck. 

1881 

Danville,  Pa  ... 

J.  W.  Steinmetz. 

1846 

Carlisle,  Pa.  . 

J.  Casper    Bucher. 

1882 

Bellefonte,    Pa  .    . 

Geo.  H.  Johnston. 

1847  Lancaster,  Pa.  .   . 

S.  Gutelius. 

1883 

Reading,  Pa  .    .    . 

Thomas  C.  Porter. 

1848 

Hagerstown,  Md  . 

Elias  Heiner. 

1884 

Pottstown,  Pa  .    . 

Isaac  K.  Loos. 

i84Q|Norristown,  Pa.   . 

John  Rebaugh. 

1850 
1851 

Martinsburg,  Va  . 
Lancaster,  Pa.  .   . 

A.  Helffenstein,  Jr. 
M.  Kieffer. 

Special  Meetings, 

1852 

Baltimore,  Md  .    . 

J.  F.  Mesick. 

1843 

Lewisburg,  Pa  .    . 

John  Cares. 

'853! 

Philadelphia,  Pa  . 

D.  G.  Bragonier. 

1850 

Harrisburg,   Pa.  . 

John  Rebaugh. 

1854 

I.ewisburg'.  Pa  . 

Robert  Douglass. 

'1866 

Philadelphia    Pa  . 

S.  R.  Fisher. 

18551  Cham  bersburg,Pw. 

Henry  Harbaugh. 

1868 

Harrisbure,  Pa.    .  IS.  N.  Callender. 

1856!  Reading,  Pa  .   . 

S.  Helffenstein. 

1873!  Lancaster,    Pa  .    .  'M.  A.  Smith. 

SYNOD  OF  PENNSYLVANIA  AND  ADJACENT  STATES. 
("  FKEE  SYNOD.") 


* 

Place. 

Presidents. 

a 

Place. 

Presidents. 

i 

r» 

822 

822 

Maxatawny   .   .    . 
Kutztown   .... 

(Prelim.  Meeting.) 
F.  L.  Herman. 

1830 
.83! 

Philadelphia  .   .   . 
Reamstown    .    .    . 

F.  L.  Herman. 

823 

" 

" 

1832 

Mechanicsburg.    . 

" 

824  Colcbrookdale  .   . 

" 

1833 

Schaefferstown  .   . 

H.  Bibighaus. 

825  Philadelphia  .   .    . 

" 

1844 

Allemown  .... 

J.  S.  Dubbs. 

826  Reamstown    .    .    . 

" 

1835 

Orwigsburg    . 

C.  G.  Herman. 

8^7  Ttilpehocken  .   .    . 

" 

1836:  Philadelphia.   .    . 

T.  H.  Leinba-h. 

828  Kutztown  .... 

" 

1837 

Pottstown  .... 

" 

829  Middletown   .    .    . 

" 

424 


MEETINGS   OF    SYNODS. 


SYNOD  OF  OHIO. 


a 
[ 

Pl,ice. 

Presidents. 

g. 
•5 

Place. 

Presidents. 

1824 

182=; 

1826 
1827 
1828 
1879 
i8j.-> 
18^1 
1832 
'<*33 
•834 
'835 
i3}6 
1837 
1838 
1839 
1840 
1841 
1842 
1842 
1843 

1*44 
1845 
1846 

1847 
1848 
1849 
1853 
1851 
1852 

'853 
1854 
1855 
1836 

N.  Philadelphia,  O. 
Germanlown,  O.  . 
lancaster,  O  .    .    . 
Germantown,  O.  . 
Canton,  O  .    .    .    . 
Adclphi,  O.    .    .   . 
Miamisburg,  O.    . 
Uniontown,  O  .    . 
New  Lancaster,  O. 

T.P.Mahn'nschm't 
Thomas  Winters. 
George  Weisz. 

Thomas  Winters. 
George  Weisz. 
H.  Dieffenbach. 
J.  W.  Ham  in. 
Thomas  Winters. 
George  Weisz. 
D.  Winters. 

John  Pence. 
L.  L.  Hinsch. 
George  Weisz. 
Thomas  Winters. 

1857 
,338 

1859 
1860 
i86> 
1862 
1863 
1864 
11865 
1866 
!i867 
:i863 
1  86; 
187^ 
1871 
1872 
'873 
'1874 
1875 
1876 
7877 
•1878 
i87j 
1883 
1881 
1882 
1883 
1884 

1850 

1850 
18^4 
1869 

Carrollton,  O.    .   . 
Fon  Wayne,  O.    . 
Fairfield.  O.  .   .   . 
Akron,  O  

M.  Kieffer. 
H.  RUM. 
J.  Heller. 
1.  H.  Good. 
D.  Winters. 
G.  B.  Russell. 
H.  Rust. 
J.  Vogt. 
J.  Riale. 
J.  H.  Derr. 
S.  B.  Leiter. 
I.  H.  Reiter.  ' 
S.  Mease. 
Reuben  Good. 
P.  C.  Prugh. 
H.  Williard. 
N.  H.  Loose. 
D.ivld  Winters. 
H.  M.  Herman. 
L.  H.  Kefauver. 
S   C.  Goss. 
John  M.  Kendig. 
John  J.  Leberman 
Samuel  B.  Yockey. 
Michael  Loucks. 
John  Vogt. 
William  A.  Hale. 
Austin  Henry. 

H.  *S>\\a.vA\,frotem. 

E   V.  Gerhart. 
N.  P.  Hacke. 
S.  Mease. 

Delaware.  O.    .    . 
Davton.O  .... 
Tiffin,  O  

Canton,  O  .    .    .    . 
Miamisburg,  O.    . 
Galion.  O  
Fairfield,  O.  .    .    . 
Shelby,  O  .    .    .    . 
Delaware,  O  .   .    . 
Tiffin,  O  
Fairfiel  J,  O.  .    .    . 
Canton,  O  .   .   .    . 
Shelbyville,  Ills.  . 
Wooster,  O.  .    .    . 
Miamisburg,  O  .    . 
Canal   Winchester. 
Orrville,  0.    .    .    . 
Xenia,  O  
Goshen,  Ind  .   .   . 
Columbian:!,  O.    . 
Miamisburg,  O  . 
Akron.  O  
W.  Alexandria,  O. 
Delaware,  O  .   .   . 

Spec'al  Meetings. 

Tarlton.  O.     .    .    . 
Tiffin,  O  

Canton,  O  .   .   .   . 
Tarlton,  O  .  .   .   . 
Xenia,  O  
Osnaburgh,  O.  .   . 
Wooster,  O.  .   .   . 
Lancaster,  O  .    .   . 
District  Synods. 

Canton,  O  .    .    .    . 
Wooster,  O.  .   .   . 
Greensburg,   Pa,  . 
Xenia,  O  
Columbus,  O  .   .    . 
Carrolkon,  O.    .   . 
Cincinnati,  O.    .    . 
Tiffin,  O  
Navarre,  O.  .    .    . 
Miamisbun;.  .    .    . 
Wooster,  O.  .    .    . 
Neria,  Mich  .    .    . 
Greensburg,  Pa.  . 
Xenia,  O  
Tiffin,  O.   ... 

D.  Winters. 
George  Weisz. 
D.  Kemmerer. 
S.  B.  Leiter. 
William  Conrad. 
Samuel  Miller. 
A.  P.  Freeze. 
D.  Winters. 
E.  V.  Gerhart. 
Geo.  W.  Williard. 
David  Winters. 
George  Long. 
N.  P.  Hacke. 
W.  K.  Zieber. 
L.  D.  Lcberman. 

Delaware,  O.     .    . 
Davton,  O.     .    .    . 

GERMAN  (INDEPENDENT)  SYNOD    OF    OHIO. 


i1 

Place. 

Presidents. 

>< 

<J 

Place. 

Presidents. 

1846:  New  Lisbon,  O.   . 
1847  Mansfield,  O  .    .    . 
1848  Lancaster,  N.  Y  . 
1849  Way  nesburg,  O.  . 

S.  K.  Denius. 
J.  W.  Hamm. 
J.  Akhaus. 
J.  W.  Hamm. 

1850 
1851 
1852 

North  Jackson,  O. 
Marion,  O  .   .   .   . 
Delaware,  O  .   .    . 

P.  Herbruck. 
S.  K.  Denius. 

SYNOD  OF  THE  NORTHWEST. 


y 
W 

*> 

Place. 

Presidents. 

;< 
* 

Place. 

Presidents. 

1  8671  Fort  Wayne,  Ind  . 

Max  Stern. 

1878:  Fort  Wavne,  Ind  . 

H.  J    Ruetenik. 

1868;  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

" 

1879  Galion,   O  .    .    .   . 

John  G.  Zahner. 

i86.j 

HowardGrove,Wis 

" 

1880  Cleveland,  O  .    .    . 

Charles  T.  Martin. 

1870 

Chicago,  111  . 

P.  Greding. 

1881  Chicago,   111  ... 

H.  A.  Muehlmeier. 

187"  Cleveland.  O.    .   . 

J.  H.  Klein. 

1682 

Ix>uisville,  Kv  .    . 

Charles  Schaaf. 

1872 

Gallon,  O  .  .  .  . 

" 

1883 

Milwaukee,  Wis  . 

J.  F.  H.  Dieckman 

1873 
1874 
1875 
1571 
Ii77 

Indianapolis,  Ind  . 
Louisville,  Ky  .  . 
Sandusky,  O  .  .  . 
Terre  Haute,  Ind. 
Sheboyg  in,  Wis  . 

H.A  Muehlmeier. 
J.  F.  H.  Dieokman 
H  A.  Muehlmeier. 
John  H.  Klein. 
Peter  J  >trris 

1884 
1869 

Fort  Wayne,  Ind  . 
Special  Meeting. 
Crestline.  O       .    . 

if.  G.  I.  Stern. 
Max  Stern. 

MEETINGS   OF    SYNODS. 

PITTSBURG   SYNOD. 


f 

Place. 

Presidents. 

S 

Place. 

Presidents. 

1870 

t-ittsburg,Pa.  (Pre- 
liminary.) .    .   . 

F.  K.  Levan. 

i877!Meadville,   Pa  .   . 
1878181.  Petersburg,  Pa. 

].  H.  Apple. 
J.  M.  Titzel. 

1870 

Buffalo,  N.  Y.  .   . 

D.  Willers. 

1879 

Pittsburg,    Pa  .    . 

Albert  E.  Truxal. 

1871 
1872 
1873 

Greensburg,   Pa   . 
Greenville,  Pa  .    . 
Titusville,  Pa  . 

J.  G.  Shoemaker. 
William  Rupp. 
John  I.  Swander. 

i88o,Centrevflle,  Pa  .    . 
1  88  1  Greensburg,   Pa   . 
1882  Red  Bank,  Pa  .    . 

D.S.Dieffenbachei 
John  McConnell. 
Frederick  Pilgram. 

1874!  Berlin,  Pa  .... 

Thos.  J.  Barkley. 

1883 

Kittanning,    Pa    . 

David  B.  Lady. 

1875  Kiuanning,  Pa  .   . 

C.R.Dieffenbacher 

1884 

Ml.  Pleasant,  Pa  . 

C.  U.  Heilman. 

r876|Irwin,  Pa    .... 

J.  W.  Love. 

SYNOD  OF  THE  POTOMAC. 


S 

Place. 

Presidents. 

£ 

Place. 

Presidents. 

r* 

> 

1873 

Frederick,        Md. 

878 

Hagerstown,  Md  . 

M.  Kieffer. 

1873 

(Preliminary.)   . 
Chambersburg.Pa. 

J.  O.  Miller. 
E.  R.  Eschbach. 

879 
880 

Frederick,  Md  .   . 
Woodstock,   Va   . 

J.  W.  Santee. 
G.  H.  Martin. 

1874  Hanover,  Pa  .    .    . 

S.  N.  Callender. 

88  1 

Waynesboro,  Pa  . 

I.  G.  Brown. 

1875  Winchester,  Va   . 

P.  S.  Davis. 

882 

Altoona,  Pa  .   .   . 

N.  H.  Skyles. 

1876  York,  Pa  .... 

D.  Cans. 

883 

Newton,  N.  C  .   . 

G.  W.  Welker. 

1877  Baltimore,  Md  .    . 

J.  A.  Peters. 

884!  Hanover,    Pa   .    . 

W.  C.  Cremer. 

GERMAN  SYNOD  OF  THE  EAST. 


1 

Place. 

Presidents. 

1    3 
S:' 

Place. 

Presidents. 

r> 

I    I* 

i87s 

Philadelphia,  Pa  . 

John  F.  Busche. 

1  880 

Buffalo,  N.  Y    . 

John  F.  Busche. 

1875 

Buffalo,  N.  Y    . 

Diedrich  Willers. 

881  Baltimore,  Md  .    , 

Gustav  Facius. 

1876  ;  Philadelphia.  Pa  . 

Marcus   Bachman.     882  New  York.N.  Y  . 

John  Roeck. 

1877  Baltimore,  Md  .   . 
1878  New  York,  N.  Y. 

John  Kuelling,DD     883  Philadelphia,  Pa  . 
N.  Gehr.  D.  D.       i    884  Pittsburg,  Pa.  .   . 

John  C.  Hauser. 
W.  C.  A.  Limberg. 

1879  Philadelphia,  Pa  . 

John  B.  Kniest. 

CENTRAL  SYNOD. 


"J 

5 

Place. 

Presidents. 

•? 
1884 

Place. 

President. 

jf8t  Gallon,   O  .   .   .   . 
1882  Canton,  O  .   .   .   . 
i.  83  Cincinnati,  O.   .   . 
'FF4  Crestline,  O  .   .   . 

H.  J.  Ruetenik. 
John  H.  Klein. 
Oswald  J.  Accola. 
Frederick  Forwick. 

Sped'al  Meeting. 
Gallon,  O   .   .   .    . 

Frederick  Forwick. 

GENERAL  SYNOD  OF  THE  REF.  CH.  IN  THE  U.  S. 


f 

'Place. 

Presidents. 

a 

Place. 

Presidents 

1863 
1866 
1869 

1872 

Pittsburg,   Pa  .   . 
Dayton,  O.    .   .    . 
Philadelphia,  Pa  . 
Cincinnati,   O   .    . 

J.  W.  Nevin. 
D.  Zachnrias. 
E.  V.  Gerhart. 
J.  H.  Klein 

i875'Fort  Wayne,  Ind  .   Wm.  K.  Zieber. 
1878  Lancaster,   Pa  .    .    D.  Van  Home. 
1881  Tiffin,  O      .        .    .    T.  H.  Good. 
1884  B.  Itimore,  Md  .    .    B.  Bausman. 

COMPARATIVE  STATISTICS. 


REFORMED  CHURCHES  HOLDING  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  SYSTEM. 


I.  REFORMED  CHURCHES. 

THE  Churches  on  the  European  Continent  holding  the  Presbyterian 
System,  and  those  in  other  parts  of  the  world  which  are  directly  derived 
from  them,  are  generally  called  "  Reformed."  The  following  statistics, 
which  are  in  part  derived  from  the  Minutes  of  the  "  Reformed  Alliance," 
recently  convened  at  Belfast,  Ireland,  are  very  incomplete,  but  will  serve 
to  give  the  reader  a  general  idea  of  the  comparative  numerical  strength 
of  the  various  branches  of  the  Reformed  Church  throughout  the  world. 


| 

1 

~.l 

2? 

§. 

? 

1 

^  ^ 

0^ 

?! 

j» 

i.  Reformed  Church  in  the  Province  of  Austria.   . 
2.   Reformed  Church  in  the  Province  of  Bohemia  . 

i 
i 

4 
53 

~l 

6,058 

44  ,9  ^4 

8,144 
68,386 

3.  Reformed  Church  in  the  Province  of  Moravia  . 

i 

24 

26 

23,780 

39,680 

4.  Ref.  Ch.  of  the  Helvetic  Confession,  Hungary 

5 

1912 

2003 

*i,  276,  460 

1,944,689 

(The  preceding  four  organizations  compose  the 

"General  Synod  of  the  Ref.  Ch.  in  Austria.") 

5.  Union  of  Evangelical  churches,  Belgium. 

6.  Missionary  Christian  Ref.  Ch.,  Belgium  .... 

I 

14 

27 

3,923 

*5,ooo 

7.  Walloon  Ch.,  Belgium  and  Netherlands. 

650,000 

800,000 

9.  Free  Reformed  Church  of  France  

150,000 

*2OO,OOO 

10.  Old  Reformed  Church  of  Bentheim,  Germany  . 

I 

7 

9 

2,400 

4,000 

II.  Free  (Dutch)  Church,  Elberfeld  

5 

3 

440 

*  1,000 

12.  Reformed  Church  of  the  East  Rhine    

i 

7 

9 

2.593 

*5,ooo 

13.  Reformed  Churches  (Separatist),  Ger  

*3O,ooo 

*4O,ooo 

14.  Reformed  Churches  of  Germany  (in  the  Union). 
15.  Ref.  Ch.  of  the  Netherl'ds  (incl.  Dutch  colonies). 

*8oo,ooo   *  i,  000,000 
2,091,432    *3,  000,000 

10 

1600 

'349 

16.  Christian  Reformed  Church,  Netherlands   .    .    . 

10 

296 

379 

148,489         2oo,o;>: 

17.  Reformed  (Cantonal)  Churches  of  Switzerland  . 

*  i  ,200,000 

1,667,109 

1  3    Free  Ref  Church  of  Geneva        .   .       

I 

4 

4 

400 

6:0 

19.  Free  Evangelical  Reformed  Ch.  of  Neufchatel  . 

I 

45 

'7 

3.335 

*5,ooo 

20.  Free  Ev.  Ref.  Cn.  of  the  Canton  de  Vaud  .   .    . 

I 

130 

7 

3,898 

8,333 

I 

70 

42 

16,484 

30.OOO 

10 

32 

i,666|         *2.cxx> 

23.  Spanish  Christian  Church  

IS 

27 

3,000          10,000 

24    Ref  Ch   in  Russia  (principally  in  Lithuania) 

*  1  50,000          *200,000 

*i=;o.ooo        *iso.ooo 

*  Estimated. 

(426) 

COMPARATIVE   STATISTICS. 


427 


t 

t, 

JP 

S  ? 

| 

=L 

S.' 

il 

§  S 

>  S 

\ 

•^ 

.  ^ 

•   a 

S 

.  * 

2" 

26.  Dutch  Reformed  Ch.  in  South  Africa    

'43 

140 



*2OO,OOO 

27.  Dutch  Reformed  Ch.,  Orange  Free  State. 

28.  Christian  Reformed  Ch.  in  South  Africa  .... 

9 

29.  Reformed  Ch.  in  America  (Kef.  Dutcli  Ch.)    .   . 

4 

558 

516 

80,156 

*24O,468 

30.  True  Reformed  Dutch  Church    

i 

10 

J3 

31.  Christian  Reformed  Church  in  America   .... 

i 

30 

56           18,023 

*56,769 

32.  Reformed  Cli.  in  the  U.  S.  (Ger.  Refor'd). 

7;  780!  1467!        172,949 

*Si8,847 

*  Estimated.  The  estimates  of  the  numerical  strength  of  the  Reformed  Churches  of 
Germany  are  very  unsatisfactory,  and  we  feel  assured  that  they  ought  to  be  much  higher. 
They  were,  however,  made  by  men  supposed  to  be  familiar  with  the  subject,  and  have 
been  left  unchanged. 

II.  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCHES. 

The  Reformed  Churches  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  those  in  other 
countries  which  are  derived  from  them,  are  generally  called  "  Presbyterian." 


| 

1 

5',-s 

gf> 

1 

5. 

?_• 

S^ 

Hi 

f 

3 

;  *S 

•   S 

1 

i.  Presbyterian  Church  of  England    ....    •  .   .   .    . 

264 
17 

279 
20 

57.402 

2OO,OOO 

2.  Church  of  Scotland,  in  England  

626 

555 

101,340 

400,000 

4.  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  of  Ireland  

26 

36 

4.734 

12,500 

5.  Eastern  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  of  Ireland  . 

8 

Q 

ii 

1,750 

4,5OO 

7.  Presbvlerian  Church  of  'Scotland   

16 

I48O          1442 

I,9OO,OOO 

8.  Free  Church  of  Scotland    

ii" 

IO9I            IC35 

315,000 

800,000 

9.  United  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland  

i 

600    557 

176,299 

5OO,OOO 

10.  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland  

i 

7 

9 

1,120 

2,844 

n.  United  Original  Secession  Church  of  Scotland  .   .   . 

i 

32 

39 

5.500 

15,000 

12.  Calvinistic  Church  in  Wales  

2 

616 

810 

I22,IO7 

275,370 

13.   Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America. 

2  3 

5218  5878 

600,695 

*I,  802  ,085 

14.  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  (South)   . 

1070 

2040 

127,017 

*38i,o5i 

15.  United   Presbyterian  Church  of  North  America.  .    . 

9 

73° 

644 

85,443 

*2j6,329 

16.  Associate  Church  of  North  America. 

17.  Associate  Reformed  Church  of  the  South    

i 

79 

72 

6,648 

18.  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  in  North  America 

i 

37 

48 

6,7OO 

7.5oo 

19.  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  of  the  U.  S.  of  N.  A. 

i 

112 

124 

10,625 

20.  Welsh  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  .    . 

6 

84 

175 

9.563 

21.  Reformed  Presbyterian  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia. 

22.  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  in  America.  .   .   . 
33.  Presbytery  of  Ceylon,  Island  of  Ceylon  

;7 

1439 

6 

2591 
9 

130,000 
645 

650,000 
3,325 

24.  Presbyterian  Church  of  East  Australia,  N.  S.  W.  .  . 

i 

12 

ii 

273 

3.I50 

25.  Presbyterian  Church  of  New  South  Wales  

i 

89 

89 

4,8l6 

20,000 

26.  Presbyterian  Church  of  Queensland  

i 

21 

33 

*  I  O,OOO 

25,000 

12 

32 

1,515 

4,000 

28.  Presbyterian  Church  of  Victoria   

164 

283 

17,000 

87,000 

29.   Presbytery  of  West  Australia. 

II 

31.  Free  Church  of  Tasmania. 

32.   Fiesb\  terian  Church  of  New  Zealand  

i 

7° 

162 

15,000 

30,000 

33.  Presbyterian  Church  of  Otago  and  Southland   .   .   . 

i 

106 

8,667 

26,250 

34.  Presbyterian  Church  in  Canada.     •  

4 

693 

1493 

119,608 

500,000 

35.   Presbyterian  Church  in  Canada  (Scotch)  

I 

15 

24 

36.  Church  of  Scotland  in  Nova  Scotia,  etc  

12 

12 

37.  Presbyterian  Church  of  Jamaica   

I 

3' 

3' 

8,405 

*  Estimated. 


COMPARATIVE    STATISTICS. 


SUMMARY. 


. 

Synods. 

Ministers. 

Congrega- 
tions. 

Communi- 
cants. 

Adherents. 

Reformed  Churches.  .  .  . 
Presbyterian  Churches  .  . 

S3 

139 

5,726 

14,726 

6,233 
18,667 

7,031,310 
2,333,658 

10,405,025 
7>9°5,9°4 

Total  of  Reformed  Churches 
holding  the  Presbyterian 
system  

192 

20,452 

24,900 

9,364,968 

18,310,929 

These  statistics  are  very  incomplete.  We  have  no  reports  from  isolated 
congregations  in  non-Protestant  countries,  nor  from  the  missionary  stations 
in  heathen  lands,  which  now  number  many  thousand  adherents.  The  re- 
ports of  some  organizations  are  incomplete  or  entirely  wanting,  and  we 
have  not  even  an  estimate  of  the  number  of  ministers  and  congregations 
of  the  Reformed  churches  of  France  and  of  the  established  churches  of 
Germany  and  Switzerland.  The  numbers  given  in  the  above  summary  are 
therefore  far  too  small.  In  America  it  is  almost  impossible  to  form  an 
accurate  estimate  of  the  number  of  adherents  of  the  several  churches, 
which  should  include  not  only  children  but  all  non  communicants,  but  in 
the  case  of  the  principal  Reformed  and  Presbyterian  churches,  the  column 
has  been  filled  out  with  a  number  which  is  three  times  that  of  the  reported 
communicants,  and  which  is  probably  too  low.  In  instances  where  the 
estimate  was  furnished  by  the  authorities  of  the  several  churches,  it  has 
been  allowed  to  stand  unchanged. 

PARTIAL  ROLL  OF  THE  REFORMED  CHURCHES  OF 
GERMANY.1 

1.  Old  Reformed  Church  of  East  Friesland  and  Benlheim. 

2.  United  Reformed  Churc/i  in  the  Province  of  Hanover. — 113   con- 
gregations with  more  than  50,000  adherents. 

3.  Confederation  of  the  Reformed  Churches  of  Lower  Saxony. — Inde- 
pendent of  the  State.     7  congregations  with  2,000  communicants. 

4.  The   Reformed  Church  of  Bremen. — Four  large   congregations  in 
the  city  of  Bremen,  with  several  others  in  Bremerhaven,  etc.     Has  50,000 
adherents. 

5.  The  Reformed  Church  of  Lippe-Detmold. — Has    50    congregations, 
54  ministers,  and  200,000  adherents. 

6.  The  Reformed  Church  of  Lower  Hesse. — Has  more  than  200  congre- 
gations. 

7.  77/i?  Reformed  Church  in  Westphalia.. — Has  70  congregations  with 
150,000  adherents. 


'Abridged  from  the  Roll  appended  to  the  Minutes  of  the  "  Reformed  Alliance." 


COMPARATIVE   STATISTICS.  429 

8.  The  Reformed  Synod  of  Wesel. — Four  congregations  of  Dutch  and 
French  origin. 

g.  The  Reformed  Church  in  the  Rhine  Provinces. — Has  150  congre- 
gations with  500,000  adherents.  These  congregations,  as  well  as  those  in 
Westphalia  and  Prussia,  are  in  the  Union,  but  have  not  been  absorbed  by 
it,  and  retain  their  Reformed  Catechism,  discipline,  and  order. 

10.  The  Reformed  Church  Confederation  in  the  Province  of  Saxony. — 
Has  10  congregations  and  12  ministers. 

11.  Reformed  Church   in  Pomerania. — Has  7   congregations  with   7 
ministers. 

12.  The  Reformed  Churches  in  the  Province  of  Silesia. — Nine  congre- 
gations with  II  ministers. 

13.  The  Free  Reformed  Churches  of  Silesia. 

14.  The  Reformed  Church  in  the  Province  of  Prussia. — Has  II  con- 
gregations and  II  ministers. 

15.  The  Reformed  Church,  of  the  Province  of  Brandenburg. — Has 
more  than  20  congregations,  among  them  the  cathedral  of  Berlin,  in  which 
the  emperor  and  his  family  worship. 

1 6.  7  he  Reformed  Church  of  the  French  Colony  in  Brandenburg. — 
Twelve  congregations. 

17.  The  Reformed  Churches  of  the  Province  of  Posen. — Five  congre- 
gations and  six  ministers. 

1 8.  The   Reformed    Churches   of  East    Bavaria. — Partly  of   French 
origin.     Seven  congregations  and  seven  ministers. 

19.  Two  French  Congregations  in  Hesse- Hamburg,  at  Friedrichshof  and 
East  Hamburg. 

20.  Single  Congregations,    without    any  relation    to   other    Reformed 
churches  :  the  Reformed  churches  at  Altona,  at  Hamburg  (a  German  and 
a  French  one),  at  Accam  in  Oldenburg,  at  Frankfort-on-the-Main  (a  Ger- 
man and  a  French  one),  at  Leipsic,  at  Dresden,  at  Hanau  (a  Dutch  and  a 
French  one),  at  Elberfeld  (Dutch),  at  Biitzkow  in  Mecklenburg,  at  Stutt- 
gart, and  at  Osnabruck. 

21.  The  Reformed  Churches  of  Heidelberg  and  vicinity. 

22.  The  Reformed  Churches  of  the  Bavarian  Palatinate. — Consisting 
of  four-fifths  of  the  Protestant  churches  of  this  territory. 

23.  The  Reformed  Churches  in  Nassati. 

24.  The  Reformed  Churches  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse-Darmstadt. 

25.  The  Reformed  Churches  in  the  Duchy  of  Anhalt. 

26.  The  Reformed  Churches  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Saxe- Weimar. 
[The  churches  numbered  21  to  26  have  been  united  with  the  Lutherans 

in  one  organization,  and  have  thus  been  absorbed.] 


430 


COMPARATIVE   STATISTICS. 


COMPARATIVE  SUMMARY  OF  THE  REFORMED  CHURCH  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

BEING  A  TRIENNIAL  EXHIBIT  FOR  THE  LAST  TWENTY-ONE  YEARS. 

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INDEX. 


Agricola 86 

Alliance  of  Ref.  Churches  .    .    .  375 

Alva,  Duke  of 89 

Am  well 210 

Amyraldists 134 

Amyrault 161 

Anabaptists 22,  31,  34 

Anglican  church 97 

Angrogna 75 

Anhalt 70 

Antes,  Henry 190 

Antwerp 85 

Appel,  Dr.  Theodore 364 

Apple,  Dr.  T.  G.  .  .    .  296,  306,  364 

Arminius 130 

Arminian  Controvetsy  .    .    .  37,  131 

Asbury,  Rev.  Francis 218 

Aughi'nbaugh,  Dr.  G.  W.  .  307,  308 

Augsburg 66 

Augsburg  Confession   .    .52,  62,  64 

Baden 70 

Bausman,  Dr.  B.   .    .    334,  335,  364 

Bartholomew,  St 80 

Bechtel,  Rev.  John 194. 

Becker,  Dr.  J.  C.    .    .  277,  279,  287 

Beecher,  Rev.  J.  C 283 

Beggars,  The 90 

Beissel,  Conrad 181 

Belgic  Confession ,     87 

Beneficiary  Education  .    .    .  30,  329 
Bentheim,  Gertrude  von  .    .    .    .122 

Berleburg  Bible 180 

Berne,  Synod  of 29 

Bethman-Hollweg 295 

Beza,  Theodore 45 

Bible,  Swiss  Translation  ....     25 

Bisrampore 328 

Blaarer,  Ambrosius 1 29 

Boehm,  Rev.  J.  P.  .   .  161,  166,  194 

Boehme,  Jacob 178 

Boehringer,  Rev.  E 343 

Boers,  The 154 

Bogardus 157 


Bohemia 103 

Bomberger,  Dr.  J.  H.  A.    .  307,  364 
Bourbon,  Charlotte  de    .    .    .    .120 

Brandenburg 70 

Brandenburg,  Louise  of  .    .  123,  142 
Brandmiller,  Rev.  John  ....  194 

Bregell 76 

Bremen 69 

Briconnet 36 

Brill 91 

Bucer 24,  52,  103 

Bucher,  Rev.  J.  Conrad  .    .  213,  231 

Buettner,  Rev.  J.  G 303 

Bullinger.  24,  27,  30,  34,  58,  99,  102, 

130,  349 
Burmann 133 

Calvin,  John.  36, 47, 63, 87,  106,  129, 

347,  349 

Calvin  College 309,  326 

California 319 

Capito 17,  24 

Cappei 23 

Carranza 77 

Cartesians 134 

Catawba  College 307 

Catechisms,  American    ....  256 

Catharine  Belgica 121 

Centennial 290 

Chambersburg,  Burning  of.    .    .  338 

Charity  Schools 201 

Charles  V 74,  84,  88 

Charlotte  de  Bourbon 120 

"  Christian  World." 335 

Christman,  Rev.  Jacob  ....  297 
Church  under  the  Cross.    ...    86 

Cincinnati  Society 233 

Clapp,  Dr.  J.  C 307 

Classes,  The 267,  353 

Coccejus 133 

Coetus 199,  243,  250" 

Coligni 80 

Comingoe,  Rev.  B.  R 208 

Conflict  of  Languages 258 


(431 


432 


"Congregation  of  God.".  .    .    .  188 

Confirmation 348 

Constitution 352 

Correspondence  . 260 

Cranmer 45,  99 

Crevecoeur 243 

Crypto-Calvinists 53 

Cultus 354 

D'Alhret,  Jeanne 119 

De  Bures,  Idelette 118 

Decline 205 

Dechant,  Rev.  J.  W 298 

Del^asky,  John 87,  102 

De  Witt,  Dr.  T 364 

Dickinson  College 280 

Discipline 346 

Doctrine 346 

Dordrecht 105,  124,  131 

Dorstius,  Rev.  P.  H 173 

Dubbs,  Dr.  J.  S 276 

Dunkers,  The 177 

Dutch  Reformed  Church,  87,  157, 
251,  260,  369 

Ebrard,  Dr 364 

Edict  of  Nantes  .......    83 

Edward  VI 100 

Einsiedlen 18 

Elizabeth  of  England  .    .    .70,  lot 

England  .    .    .    ; 97 

Ephrata 175 

Erasmus 17,  86 

Erastus 50 

Esch,  John 85 

Evangelical  Church 152 

Fagius 105 

Falkener  Swamp 166 

Farel,  WITK 36,  40,  42 

Federalists 133 

Female  Education 310 

Fisher,  Dr.  S.    R.,  331,  332,  337, 

352,  364 

Foreign  Missions 327 

Flacius 53 

Francis  I.,  of  France 79 

Frederick  I.,  of  Prussia.     .    .    .  125 
Frederick  II.,  of  Prussia  ...    70 
Frederick  William  III.,  of  Prus- 
sia  283 

Frederick  the  Pious  ....  49,  71 


TACB 

Franckenthal 4^.  5.). 

Franklin,  Benjamin 24 1 

Franklin  College    ....  241,  250 
Franklin  and  Marshall  College.  305 

Freeze,  Rev.  A.  P 303 

Free  Synod 272 

Froschauer 25 

Gansevoort 86 

Gantenbein,  Dr.  J 309 

Cast,  Dr.  F.  A 296 

Gebhard,  Rev.  J.  G.    .    .    .  158,  209 

Gehr,  Dr.  N 335 

General  Synod 367 

Geneva II,  35,  79 

Georgia 211,  235 

Gerhart,  Dr.  E.  V.    .  286,  295,  304, 

306,  364 

German  Church  in  the  West  .    .321 

German  Ind.  Synod 301 

Gertrude  von  Bentheim  .    .    .    .122 
Goetschius,  Rev.  J.  H.  .    .  304,  335 

Gomarus 130 

Good,  Dr.  J.  H 304,  335 

Gordon,  Gov 164 

Grey,  Lady  Jane 101 

Gros,  Dr.  J.  D.  .    .    .  209,  228,  240 

Gruber,  J.  A 190 

Gualter,  Rudolph 99 

Guardian,  The 335 

dieting,  Rev.  J.  A 221 

Guldin,  Dr.  J.'C.  .•••...  335 
Gustavus  Adolphus 143 

Hager,  Rev.  J.  F 162 

Haller,  Berthold 24 

Hamilton,  Patrick 108 

Hanau •••..121 

Harbaugh,  Dr.  H 295,  362 

Harbor  Mission    .......  320 

"  Hausfreund  " 335 

Heidelberg  Catechism  .   54,  6l,  72, 

157,  347.  349.  365 

Heidelberg,  City 49,  148 

Heidelberg  College 306 

Helffenstein,  Rev.  J.  C.  A.    .    .  232 
Helffenstein,  Dr.  S.  .  236,  279,  314, 

334 

Helmuth,  Dr 240,  243,  265 

Helvetic  Confession 65 

Hendel,  Dr.  W.,  Senior   .  213,  217, 
252,257 


INDEX. 


433 


PAGE  ! 

Hendel,  Dr.  W.,  Junior   .  240,  298, 

3H 

Henry  IV,  France 80 

Henry  VIII,  England     ....    97 

272 

Hering,  Archbishop 164 

Herkimer,  Gen 226 

Herman,  Dr.  F.  L.    .  233,  239,  259, 

Herman  V.,  Cologne 104 

Herzog,  Dr.  .   , 366 

Hess,  Rev.  S 256 

Heshusius S3>  54.  62 

Heusser,  Meta 142 

Higbee,  Dr.  E.  E 295 

High  School,  York 284 

Historical  Society 366 

Hochmann 180 

Hoeger,  Rev.  Henry 163 

Hoffeditz,  Dr.  F.  L.   .    .    .  291,  352 
Holland  Benefactions  .   .    .  207,  25 1 

Holland 84 

Home  Missions 315 

Huguenots   .    .        .....  70,  78 

Hundeshagen,  Dr 364 

Hooper,  Bp loo,  101 

Hutchins,  Rev.  Jos 245 

Hymnologists 140 

Hymn-books 256,  354 

Ireland,  Palatines  in 151 

Jackson,  Maj.  Wm 233 

Japan 329 

Jesuits 77 

Juda,  Leo 1 6,  24,  26 

Jung  (Stilling), 141 

Kern,  Rev.  J.  M 209,  234 

Kiefier,  Dr.  M.  .  304,  307,  337,  364 

"  Kirchenzeitung," 335 

Klebitz 54 

Klein,  Dr  J.  H 325 

Knox,  John 45,  106,  112 

Krell,  Dr.  N 45 

Krummacher,  F.  A 142 

Krummacher,  F.  W 290 

Kunze,  Dr.  J.  C 240 

Labadie,  Jean  de    ....  132,  136 

Labadists 138 

Lampe,  F.  A 132,  142,  257 

Larose,  Rev.  J.  J 297 

Lasky,  John  de 87,  102 

28 


Leinbach,  Rev.  T.  H 275 

Leyden,  John  of 33 

Leyden,  Siege  of 93 

Lippe 70 

Lischv,  Rev.  J 194 

Literary  Institutions 304 

Liturgies 456 

Livingston,  Dr.  J.  H 260 

Lobwasser 141,  257 

Lost  Churches 207 

Louis  XIV 148 

Loyalists  .  „ 234 

Loyala 77 

Luther  ...  19,  26,  36,  51,  98,  348 

Mack,  Alexander 181 

Maine 208 

Maryland 214 

Manheim,  City 49,  148 

Margaret  of  Navarre  .    .    .    .  35,  38 
Margaret  of  Parma    ......  88 

Mary  of  England 101 

Mary  of  Scotland no 

Martyrs,  The 73 

Martyr  Book 185 

Martyr,  Peter 88 

Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew    .    80 
Mayer,  Dr.  Lewis  .279,  281,  334,  358 

Maximilian  II 66 

Medici,  Catharine  de 80 

Marshall  College 284 

Melac 149 

Melanchthon 51,  54 

Melsheimer,  Rev.  F.  V 247 

Menken,  G 142 

Mennonites 95,  165 

Mercersburg  College 308 

Mercersburg  Theology    ....  293 

"  Messenger,  The  " 333 

Michaelius,  Rev.  Jonas 157 

Miller,  J.  Peter 175 

Miller,  Rev.  S.    .......  334 

Milledoler,  Dr.  P.    .    .  209,  240, 269 

Minuit,  Peter 158 

Mission  House 323 

Missions,  Home 315,  379 

Missions,  Foreign 327 

M.  Kieffer  &  Co 337 

Mohawk  Valley 209 

Montgomery,  Gen 232 

Moravians 139,  262 

Muhlenberg,  Dr.  H.  E.  .  .    .  ".  247 


434 


INDEX. 


MQnster 33 

Miinzer,  Thomas 31 

Myconius 15,  24 

Mystics 139,  179 

Muehlmeier,  Dr.  H.  A 321 

Nantes,  Edict  of 83 

Nassau 69 

Navarre 119 

Navarre,  Henry  of So 

Netherlands 84,  91 

Nevin,  Dr.  J.  W.  .    .    289,  306,  364 

New  Berne  .    .  211 

New  Jersey 210 

New  York 158 

North  Carolina 211,307 

Nova  Scotia 208 

Ochino 76,  105 

Oecolampadius 24 

Ohio,  Synod  of 297 

Olevianus 55 

Oley 191 

Oregon 319 

Orange,  Wm.  of 92 

"  Order  of  Worship" 360 

Organization 349 

Orphan  Homes 343 

Otterbein,  Rev.  W.  201,207, 214-224 

Palatinate 1 1 ,  48 

"         Invasion 148 

Palatinate,  Electors  of — 

Otto  Heinrich 49 

'   Frederick  III 49,  54,  71 

Louis 60,62,  72 

John  Casimir     .    .    .    .  60,  58,  72 

Palatinate  Liturgy 357 

Palatines 150 

Palatinate  College 308 

Pastorius,  F.  D 165 

Patriotic  Ministers 229 

Parochial  Schools 340 

Peace  Commission  ....  360,  370 

Penn,  William 161 

Philadelphia 166 

Philipism 51 

Philip  II 77,  88 

Pietists 139 

Poland 103 

Pomp.  Rev.  N 215,  252 

I'urter,  Dr.  T.  C 364 


Portugal 78 

Presbyterian  Church  .    .    .  114,  261 
Printing  Establishment  ....  336 

Provisional  Liturgy 359 

Prussian  Church  Union  ...       152 
Purrysbnrg 211 

Rauch,  Dr.  F.  A; 284 

Rauch,  Rev.  C.  H 194 

Reformed  Alliance 154 

Reformed  Church  .    .    .  10,  II,  153 
Reformed  Church  in  America — 

See  "  Dutch  Ref.  Church." 
Reformed  Ch.  Pub.  Board  .   .    .  339 
Reformed  Publishing  Co.  .  335,  339 
Reformed  Publishing  House.325, 339 

Reformed  Name 9 

Reichenbach,  Prof. 247 

Reiff,  Jacob 169 

Reily,  Rev.  J.  R 282,315 

Reinhard,  Anna 116 

Revolutionary  War 225 

Richelieu 83,  144 

Rieger,  Rev.  J.  B.  .    .172, 184,  200 

Rochelle 79 

Ross,  Prof.  James 247 

Ruetenik,  Dr.  H.  J 321 

Rupert,  Abbot 86 

Russell,  Dr.  G.  B    .    .    .    .  334,  364 

Rush,  Dr.  B 245 

Rust,  Dr.  H 203 

Saint  Bartholomew ......    80 

Samson,  B 19 

Saur,  Christopher 203 

Schaff,  Dr.  P  .    .    .    .  291,  356,  362 

Schinner,  Cardinal 17 

Schlatter,  Rev.  M  .    .  196,  207,  231 

Schlatter,  Anna 142 

Schneck,  Dr.  B.  S.,  291,  334,  337, 

364 

Schneider,  Dr.  B 328 

Scholastics 132 

Schoharie 209 

Schotel,  Dr 364 

Schwenkfeld 32 

Schwenkfelders 328 

Schwarzenau 181 

Schwob,  Rev.  Benedict  .    .    .    .216 

Scotland 106 

Servetus 44 

Seymour,  Jane 99 


INDEX. 


435 


Skippack  Church 166,  170 

Smith,  Dr.  William 232 

South  America 319 

South  Carolina 212 

Spain 77 

Spangenberg 191 

Spener 140 

Stapel,  Rev.  CM...;..  210 
Steiner,  Rev.  J.  C  .  .  .  .  200,  206 
Steiner,  Dr.  L.  H  .  .  .  .  364,  366 

Stern,  Dr.  M 321 

Stilling 141 

Steuben 226 

Switzerland 12 

Swedes  in  America 158 

Sunday-schools 342 

Synods 253,  353 

"  Synodalordnung".    .    ,    ,252,352 

Tercentenary 362 

Tersteegen 138,  141 

Theologians 128 

Theological  Seminary.  .  .  269,  296 
Thirty  Years'  War  .  .  .  .135,  143 

Title,  Change  of 368 

Tremellius 105 

Trent,  Council  of. 61 

Triennial  Convention 368 

Triglot  Catechism 365 

Tri-Synodic  Union.    .    .    .    '.    .319 

Troldenier,  Rev.  Geo 239 

Tulpehocken 176 

Ullmann,  Dr.  C 364 

Unionistic  Tendencies    ....  264 

'•  United  Brethren" 221 

"  United  Ministers  " 219 

Untereyck 140 

Ursinus 57 

Ursinus'  Commentary 72 

Ursinus  College 308 

Ursinus  Union 319 

Van  Lodenstein 138 

Van  Vleck,  Rev.  P 165 

Viretus 47 


Virginia 210 

Vitringa 133 

Vcetius 132 

Voes,  Henry 65 

Wack,  Rev.  C.  .    .    .  213,  259,  314 

Wack,  Rev.  J.  J 209 

Waldenses II,  74 

Wallauer,  Rev.  G 217 

Washington,  Geo 233 

Weber,  Rev.  J.  W 239 

Weikel,  Rev.  J.  H 230 

Weinbrenner,  Rev.  J 278 

\Veis,  Rev.  G.  M 161,  168 

Wesel,  John  de 86 

Wesel,  City  of 79,  89 

Wessel.  John 86 

Western  Theol.  Seminary  .    .    .  303 
Westminster  Confession  .    .    .    .113 

Westphal 53 

Westphalia.  Treaty 143' 

\Veyberg,  Dr.  CD.    .    .  213,  230 

Whitemarsh  Church 165 

Whitfield,  Rev.  G 192 

Widows'  Fund.  .    .  ' 313 

William  of  Orange 92 

Williard,  Dr.  G.  W 72,  307 

Witgenstein 179 

Winnebago  Indians 329 

Wolfians I  34 

Wolff,  Dr.  B.  C.  .  .    .  295,  314,  364 

Wolmar,  Melchior 3$ 

Women  of  the  Ref.  Church  .    .511 

Wycliffe 98 

Wyttenbach 16 


Young,  Rev.  D. 


Zacharias,  Dr.  D 334 

Zinzendorf 192 

Zollikofer 141,  257 

Zubly,  Dr.  J.  J 211,  235 

Zurich 22,  25 

Zurich  Consensus 45,  53 

Zwingli,  Ulric  .  .    ,  14-23,  63,  116 
Zwingli  Festivals 375 


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